Enchanted
by donna79
Summary: One chance encounter had changed their lives forever. Now they couldn't imagine their lives without the other.
1. Just an Ordinary Girl, Nothing More

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**Summary: It took less than two seconds for him to know that she was the one that he was meant to spend the rest of his life with.**

**AN: I have ****wanted to pair these two together since I first read the books. I have finally found a way to do it. **

Bella Swan wasn't the type of person who did things without thinking them through first. She had been contemplating moving to Washington for over a year before her mom mentioned that Phil wanted to try to get his baseball career started. Bella knew that her mom wanted to go with him wherever he went but that she wouldn't do it if Bella were in the picture. Renee had been reluctant to agree to let her go at first. Once Bella brought up that she hadn't seen her dad in almost a year and that she wouldn't have any time to see him before she started college in a year and a half Renee realized that she was right.

Charlie was happy to have her coming to live with him. He had never been the type to show his emotions unless something really affected him. Bella had never known him to be this excited about anything. The moment she stepped off the plane she saw her dad in the crowd. She smiled warmly at him as he walked towards her.

"Hey you," she said as he pulled her in for a hug.

"Hi," he said with a smile of his own.

"How are you?"

"Good. You look good."

"So do you," he said with an easy smile.

They walked through the terminal with an arm draped over the other's shoulders. In the cruiser on the way home he filled her in on everything that had changed in town.

"You remember Billy and Jake don't you?"

"Not really," she said with a nervous laugh.

"You'll meet them later. They come over a couple times a week. I'm sure you and Jake will get along fine, he's around your age."

Bella nodded as she watched the passing scenery. Charlie fiddled with the radio dial and a pop song that Bella hadn't heard in years came on.

"You listen to this?" she asked.

"I thought that you might like it."

"I did, when I was ten. What you had on before was fine," she said with a laugh.

She changed the station back herself as he turned off the highway. The town of Forks hadn't changed since she had been there last. It was one those towns that would be never change. The people were nice as far as small town people went. She saw a mother walking her daughters across the street once Charlie came to a stop to let them pass. The woman smiled and waved and Charlie waved back.

Ten minutes later they passed the high school. It also hadn't changed from the way Bella remembered it. The ride to the house once they were in Forks took less than half an hour. She got out of the car and immediately went to the trunk to start bringing her stuff into the house. Most of her things were still in Phoenix because her room here wasn't that big while her room at her mom's was three times larger. Her mom would take everything with her if she ever decided to move so that Bella would have a place to stay whenever she wanted to visit.

She was pulling the last of her things out of the trunk when a truck pulled in behind the cruiser. A teenage boy got out on the passenger side and quickly walked around to the back. He pulled down a wheel chair while Charlie opened the driver's side door. The boy's long hair fell in his face so Bella wasn't able to get a good look at him. He came to stand beside Charlie and helped pull the man out of the truck and into the chair. He shoved his hair out of his eyes before looking at Bella. He gave her a wide smile as his eyes met hers.

"Hey," he said, still smiling.

"Hi," Bella said with a wave.

"You two used to be best friends. Hopefully that hasn't changed," The man in the chair said.

"Neither of them would remember that. They weren't even in school yet," Charlie said with a laugh.

"I'm Jake," Jacob said walking up to her.

"I'm Bella," she said with a smile.

"I'm Billy," Billy said getting her attention.

"Hi," she said moving around to look around Jacob.

"I can take those inside for you. Our dads have something that they want to show you," Jacob said taking her bags from her.

"You should be out here. You're the one who worked on it for her," Charlie said as he walked towards them.

He passed them to stand by an old truck that was parked in front of the cruiser. It had some miles on it, but it didn't look like it would be breaking down anytime soon.

"That's mine?" she asked with wide eyes.

"I bought it from Billy a few weeks ago. Jake was able to get it working."

"Thank you," she said looking between the two of them.

"You're welcome," Charlie said with a nod.

"It was nothing," Jacob said with a shy smile.

"Get in, see if you like it," Charlie said gesturing to the driver's side door.

Bella opened the door quickly, not seeing Jacob trying to pass her. She hit him in the knee with the door before quickly apologizing. He limped around the front of the truck. He got in on the passenger side as she ran her hands over the wheel.

"I really am sorry for hitting you with the door. I'm such a klutz."

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt anymore," he said with a shake of his head.

He talked her through how to shift before she asked him if he wanted a ride to school in the morning.

"I go to school on the Rez. Trust me, I wish you were going there."

"It was nice to think about. It would have been nice to know somebody already."

Jacob nodded as Charlie and Billy continued to rough house in the street.

"Are they always like that?"

"It's gotten worse with age. My best friends think it's hilarious," he said with a laugh.

"It is pretty funny," she said as Charlie danced around Billy pretending to box.

They got out of the truck and Jacob and Charlie carried Billy's chair up the stairs. Bella carried her bags up to her room and Jacob stood at the door a few minutes later.

"Do you want some help?" he asked.

"That would be great. There isn't much," she said as she opened a box.

Half an hour later they were back downstairs when Charlie suggested that they order pizza for dinner.

"Is that what the three of you normally eat?" Bella asked.

"Yeah," The three of them said at the same time.

"Expect a home cooked meal the next time you come over. Living off of pizza alone is great for someone Jake's age, but the two of you can't."

"If you want to cook I'm not going to tell you no," Charlie said with a laugh.

They talked while they waited for the pizza and Bella was surprised to find out that it was only Billy and Jacob that lived on the Rez. Bella did remember that Billy had daughters once he mentioned them. Where were they? Jacob couldn't take care of Billy by himself.

XXXX

Bella slept through her alarm clock the next morning. Luckily Charlie had woken her up only ten minutes after it was supposed to go off. He was downstairs reading the paper while he drank his coffee when she came down.

"Do you need me to go with you?" he asked looking over a corner of the paper.

"I don't think so. You said that you had gone in the other day to get everything taken care of. I should be okay," she said as she made herself a glass of milk.

She sat down at the table with a piece of toast and an apple a few seconds later. He watched her as she ate silently.

"Is that all you're going to eat?"

"I can't eat when I'm nervous. I was lucky to get that down."

"I'm sure that it will be fine," he said with a smile.

She nodded as she read a section of the paper that he had already looked through. There was an article about a doctor who was being awarded a humanitarian award for all of his charity work. She read the article while her dad washed out his coffee cup and finished getting ready for work. He hugged her tightly before leaving. Once she was done reading the article she realized that it was time for her to leave.

The fifteen minute drive to school was the most nerve wracking fifteen minutes of her life. She worried that none of the kids would like her and that they would make her life a living hell. Maybe she should have talked her dad about letting her go to school on the Reservation with Jacob like she had wanted to last night. It was too late now.

It had started to rain while she drove to school. She hadn't thought to bring an umbrella. She hadn't even worn her jacket with a hood. She sighed before gathering her things. She opened her door only to step in a massive puddle. She groaned before looking up at the sky wondering if God was playing some kind of cruel joke on her.

"That happened to me yesterday," Someone said from a few feet away.

She looked up to see a skinny Asian boy with straight hair that fell in his face and over his ears.

"My dad wasn't kidding when he said it always rained here."

"Your dad has lived here a long time."

"He's lived here his entire life."

The boy crossed the rest of the way to her and she was grateful to be under the shelter of his umbrella.

"I'm Eric by the way. You must be Isabella."

"It's Bella. Thanks for sharing your umbrella with me."

"Not a problem. So when did you get here?"

"Yesterday afternoon. It didn't leave me much time to meet anyone that goes here."

"Well then I am happy to be the first person to welcome you to town. Where are you from?"

"Arizona."

"That's a big stretch. I hope you don't resent moving here," he said with a laugh.

"It's not so bad."

"So you're Chief Swan's daughter? I never knew that he had any kids."

"I lived here when I was little. My mom and I moved when I was two."

They walked into the school and she was met with a rush of heat. She was glad to have the chance to thaw as he walked her to the office.

"I can wait out here if you want. School doesn't start for another twenty minutes."

"That would be great. I'll be right back."

Bella filled out paperwork and the secretary gave her a folder filled with paperwork for Charlie to fill out. She also got her schedule and locker assignment before meeting Eric in the hall. He was talking to an Asian girl with long dark hair and she wore glasses. His attention was on Bella once he noticed that she was standing a few feet away.

"We'll finish talking about it during lunch Angela. I'll see you later," he said abruptly.

"Okay," Angela said quietly before walking away.

He stepped up to Bella and she watched Angela walk away.

"You didn't have to make her leave. I've got a map of the school; I could have found my way around."

"We weren't talking about anything important. Let me see your schedule," he said holding out his hand.

She handed it to him as they started walking down the hall.

"We only have Science together. I can walk you to all of your classes if you want."

"That's okay. I'd feel better if I was able to find them myself but if you could help me find my locker that would be great."

"It's upstairs. If you think that you can find your way then I'll take off. Welcome to Forks High Bella."

"Thank you," she said with a kind smile.

She made her way upstairs and had trouble finding her locker. She walked through the maze of halls were every locker looked the same. What had happened to expressing yourself and making your locker your own? She was going to find a way to make hers stand out so that she wouldn't have this problem again.

After five minutes of searching she finally found her locker. She spun the dial with precision only to find that the locker was jammed. Someone's arm passed by her shoulder and banged on the bottom edge of the locker and the door opened slowly.

"I had that locker last year. It's a pain in the ass sometimes," The person said from behind her.

"Thanks," she said as she started to pull the binders that she wouldn't need out of her bag.

"I'm Tyler."

"Bella," she said before turning to face him.

He was cute in a tough guy kind of way. He was a little taller than her and his smile reminded her of her stepdad's.

"You're Chief Swan's daughter?"

"Mm hmm," she said with a nod.

"Do you need any help finding your first class?"

"No thanks. I passed it on the way here. I remember where it is."

"Let me know if you need anything," he said before smiling again.

Bella nodded again before walking away from him. She wasn't used to getting so much attention from guys. They were being awfully friendly. She could have sworn that Tyler was trying to look down her shirt. She pushed the thought from her mind as she walked into her first class.

She handed the teacher her schedule for him to sign. He handed her the piece of paper along with a text book and a work book.

"You can have a seat behind Miss Stanley. Jessica, will you raise your hand so that Miss Swan knows where to sit?"

Jessica raised her hand with a smile which Bella returned as she passed her.

"Hi," Jessica said as she turned in her seat.

"Hey," Bella said as she put her schedule in her bag.

"Have you met anyone yet?"

"A couple of people," Bella confirmed with a nod.

"I know pretty much everybody here if you need me to introduce you to people."

"No thank you."

"Which lunch do you have?"

"Lunch B I think."

"That's my lunch. You can sit with me if you like."

"That would great. It would save me from sitting by myself. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

The bell rang and the teacher called the class to start. Bella paid attention to the teacher, trying to keep up. The subject that they were on wasn't something that she had gone over at her last school. They were half way through Much Ado about Nothing and she would more than likely spend all weekend trying to catch up.

The bell rang and she quickly stuffed her things back in her bag. Jessica stood at the same time she did.

"I can give you my notes on what we've gone over so far if you want."

"That would save me from spending all weekend going over it."

"I'll give them to you at lunch. Good luck with the rest of the morning."

"I'm gonna need it," Bella said with a laugh.

She headed back upstairs and was looking down at her map while quickly looking up at the room numbers. She didn't notice the person watching her from a few feet away. The person watched her with curious eyes as she stopped in front of her math class.

"What are you staring at?" Someone asked who was with him.

"The new girl," he stated, not ashamed.

"I haven't seen her yet."

"She's in your math class. You'll see her when you go in," The guy murmured.

"Does she have a second head?" A girl asked with a laugh.

"No," The second guy said giving the girl an even look.

"Then why are you still watching her if she's in the class room?"

"I'll explain later. I've gotta go."

"See you later."

The bell rang as Bella took her seat behind Tyler. He turned in his seat and smiled kindly at her. She returned the smile with a tight lipped one of her own. She did notice that the girl and boy who had walked in late were watching her. The boy was tall with dark red hair that went in every direction while the dark haired girl was petite. They sat in the first row with the girl sitting up front.

She pushed the two of them out of her mind and focused on the teacher. Math had never been her best subject, so she was glad that the class was going over something that she already knew. She was able to follow the teacher's instructions easily and before she knew it the bell rang again. She gathered her things and noticed that the girl who came in late was standing at the front of her row.

"Hi," The girl said with a kind smile.

"Hi," Bella said quietly.

"I'm Alice. You must be Bella."

"I am," Bella said with a nod.

"I have a feeling that we are going to be good friends."

"Me too, I can't know how to explain it," Bella said shyly.

"Alice, are you ready?" The red head asked.

"This is my brother Edward."

"It's nice to meet you," he said politely.

"You too," she said with a tight lipped smile.

"What class do you have next?"

"I have History with Mr. Williams."

"Edward has Mr. Williams next," Alice said brightly.

"I can walk with you if you'd like," he said shyly.

"Thank you," Bella said with a nod.

The three of them walked out of class together and Alice immediately walked over to a muscular blond with shaggy blond hair that fell in his eyes. A taller more muscular guy stood on the other side of the blond.

"I need to drop something off at my locker. You can come with me or you can go meet my brothers if you'd like," Edward said.

"Yes, Bella come meet Jasper and Emmett," Alice said coming to pull Bella away from Edward.

Jasper gave her a small smile but broke eye contact with her after a few seconds. Emmett on the other hand smiled broadly at her. Her heart skipped a beat as she tried to compose herself. What kind of reaction was that just because he had smiled at her? They talked amongst themselves while Edward walked to the end of the hall. He walked back with a tall blond girl with an arm wrapped around her waist.

"Bella this is Rosalie," Edward said with a smile.

"Hi."

"Hi," Rosalie said with a nod.

"We should go. We have to go downstairs then across to the other side of the school."

"It was nice meeting the three of you."

"You too," Rosalie said politely.

"Bye," Jasper said quietly.

"See you later Bella," Emmett called as she and Edward walked down the hall.

She looked over her shoulder meeting his gaze before waving. She didn't know why but all of them had a calming presence over her. They seemed nice, nice enough to go out of their way to introduce themselves to her. She had worried over nothing.

XXXX

Bella was able to find the lunchroom with very little trouble. Jessica stood outside the doors waiting for her.

"Hey," Bella said as they opened the doors.

"Did you have any trouble finding your classes?"

"No. It's been pretty easy."

"Have you met anyone else?"

"I met a brother and sister in my Math class. Then I met their other brothers and sister after."

"You met the Cullen's?" Jessica asked with wide eyes.

"Why is that such a shock?"

"They don't associate with anyone here."

"They seemed really nice."

"In the entire time that they have lived in Forks I have not seen the five of them talk to anyone our age."

"I don't know why they've singled me out. I didn't do anything special," Bella said with a shrug.

They walked through the cafeteria to Jessica's table. She saw Eric and who she thought was the girl from that morning. They sat down at the same time that a guy with blond hair sat down. Bella sat beside Eric and the guy sat on the other side of her.

"Mike have you met Bella?" Eric asked.

"No, I haven't. Hi," he said with a wide smile.

"Hey," Bella said with a shy smile.

Tyler came to stand in between Bella and Mike before kissing her cheek quickly then pulling Mike's chair out from under him. Mike went after him with Eric following close behind. Jessica and the dark haired girl rolled their eyes as they shook their heads.

"Boys will be boys," Jessica said with a laugh.

"I'm Bella," Bella said turning her attention to the dark haired girl.

"I'm Angela."

"Bella talked to the Cullen's."

"You did?" Angela asked with wide eyes.

"Why is that such a shock?"

"Did you tell her that they don't talk to any of us?"

"I did."

"Tell me about them."

"Perfect timing here they come, Alice and Jasper? They're together, like together, together."

"Aren't they brother and sister?" Bella asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"They're all adopted," Angela said.

"Jasper is really weird. He won't come near anyone. The fact that he acknowledged you speaks volumes." Jessica said sincerely.

"All he said was hi and bye. He barely looked at me when Alice introduced us."

"Edward and Rosalie are together too. He seems really nice, from what I've seen. But she is stuck up," Jessica said.

"How do you know that if you don't know her?"

"It's the way she carries herself. Edward is a total babe, but you've noticed that already, right?" Jessica asked.

"Actually, I hadn't," Bella answered honestly.

"Emmett is the most approachable out of all of them. He hovers over Jasper like a hawk; he's very protective of him," Angela said.

"Did you go up to them or did they come up to you?"

"Alice came up to me and Edward came over a few seconds later."

"Unreal. I don't understand why they would single you out like that," Jessica said as she shook her head.

"I would have gone over and asked them to tell me about themselves, but Jasper doesn't look like the type to be okay with someone he doesn't know sitting with them."

"You're right. He's very skittish. No one can get near him without him putting his guard up," Angela said as the boys came back.

The conversation was dropped and talk of the upcoming basketball game was started. Bella ate quietly feeling someone watch her. She looked over her shoulder to scan the cafeteria. Each of the Cullen's had their eyes trained on her. Their food hadn't been touched, but lay open on the table in front of them.

The bell rang pulling her from her thoughts. She collected her trash and made her way through the crowd to head out of the cafeteria. She stopped at her locker to drop off her history and math books. She walked into the Science with a few minutes to spare.

She handed her schedule to the teacher and he handed her a text book. He pointed towards the last row as he signed her schedule. She saw only one free seat on the last row seats. It was next to Edward.

"Hi again," she said as she sat down.

"Hi," he said with a tight lipped smile.

She immediately knew something was wrong. Had she done something she shouldn't have? Had his family somehow found out that she had asked about them? She racked her brain trying to figure out what she had done wrong while the teacher handed out slides and another student placed a microscope on their table. It was something that she had already gone over at her last school so it should be easy for her.

"You can go first," Edward said shoving the tray of slides across the table to her.

She slid in the first one and she knew immediately what it was. She wrote down the answer before showing it to him.

"Do you mind if I check?"

"Go ahead," she said with a nod.

He adjusted the lens before nodding in agreement. He put the next slide into place before writing down what it was. He showed her the answer and she pulled the microscope back to her.

"Do you mind if I check?"

"Be my guest," he said with a small smile.

She checked it and noticed that he was right. She wrote it down and they slid the microscope back and forth until they were done, not questioning the other's work again. They were the first ones done and Edward walked to the front to turn in their work.

Soon Edward was rising from his seat and seconds later the bell rang. It was almost like he knew that it was going to ring right then. How had he known that it was going to ring at exactly that second? Bella shook the question from her mind as she gathered her things. Mike leaned against the corner of her desk watching her.

"Did you need something?"

"Eric said that he noticed that you had P.E. last period when he looked at your schedule this morning. I thought that I would walk you since I have it too."

"Thank you."

"Did Cullen give you any problems?"

"No. He was nice."

"You're the first person to say that," Mike said with a laugh.

"I had heard that they don't talk to anyone."

"You're the first person I've seen him talk to all year."

"He has been working by himself all year?"

"And making straight A's," Mike said with a shrug.

"Some people are just more comfortable working by themselves. I hope that I don't disrupt his routine," she said in a worried tone.

Mike showed her to the girl's locker room before walking to the boy's locker room at the other end of the hall. She saw Jessica as she made her way through the sea of girls changing into their gym uniforms. Charlie had already bought her a gym uniform and a lock for her locker so all she needed to do was to find a free locker. After quickly changing she made it out to the gym just as the bell rang. She went through the routine of giving her schedule to the teacher and she saw that the class was divided into two groups. The boys were playing basketball while the girls were playing volley ball. She was terrible at volley ball.

Her lack of knowledge when it came to volley ball was made known when she hit the ball and it went sailing off to the side and hit Mike in the back of the head. She gave him a sheepish look as she walked over to get it.

"Sorry."

"It's okay," he said with a laugh.

"I told them not to let me play."

"It's a requirement to pass the class. I can work with you if you want."

"That's okay. I think the teacher is about to pull me out of the game," she said as she rolled her eyes.

He laughed before turning his attention back to the basketball game. Sure enough, the teacher pulled her out of the game and made her run laps around the court. She watched the boys playing basketball waving at Mike as she passed. Someone caught her eye and she turned her attention to the person. Emmett Cullen was wiping his face with his shirt before pulling it back down. Not before she got a look at his well-defined stomach. He smiled and she smiled back before turning a corner on the court. He didn't seem so bad; he wasn't like his brother's that was for sure. She cast him a second look, still seeing him look at her. She noticed his eyes then, they were a dark shade, not really brown, almost black. She brushed the thought aside; she was probably just imagining things.

The rest of the class passed without any more mishaps. She walked to her truck after going to her locker to pick up her books again. Her bag felt like it weighed ten pounds and she was struggling to get her door open and hold her bag at the same time. The truck rumbled to life with no trouble and people gave her weird looks as she pulled out of the parking lot. The truck did attract a lot of unwanted attention.

The day had gone better than she had thought it would. She made a note to herself to call Jacob and tell him how things had gone. She had promised him that she would call him. That would have to wait until after she did her homework. She had noticed that the teachers liked to assign a lot of homework. That would be something that would take some getting used to.

**AN2: I wanted to add on to the summary but FF only gives you so much to work with so I'll put it here. Yes, Edward and Rosalie are to****gether in this story. I have read stories where they were together and I promise that I will make it work. Also Jacob, Embry and Quil will not be joining the pack in this story which is a new concept for me. If any of you have any questions feel free to**** ask. I will ans****wer whatever questions you might have.**


	2. Some Guys Have All the Luck

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Three weeks after starting school Bella was starting to adjust to things. She knew everyone in her classes with the exception of a few people who wouldn't acknowledge her. She thought that was strange, since she hadn't done anything to deserve it. She was polite to the Cullen's when she saw them and had even talk to them during class. Emmett had asked her to be his partner in P.E. while they studied Tennis. That would be starting soon and she was dreading it.

She was walking down the hall with Angela and Eric one day not paying attention to where she was going and almost collided with someone who had stopped in front of her. She looked up from the notebook that she had been going through in surprise to see Emmett smiling down at her.

"Sorry. I should have known better than to look through this while I was walking," she said laughing nervously.

"It's okay," he said as his smile widened.

"Did you need something?" she asked when he didn't say anything else.

"I was wondering if you had your science notes from yesterday. Edward meant to talk to you but he didn't get a chance to."

"We're gonna go. We'll see you on Monday," Angela said pulling Eric down the hall.

"Sure. I just need to get them from my locker," she said as they continued down the hall.

"How have you been? I haven't talked to you in a few days."

"Good. How are you?"

"I'm good," he said with a nod.

They stopped at her locker and he took that time to take her in. She wasn't like any girl that he had ever met. He had dated a lot of girls since he had been changed but none of them had the effect that she had on him, or caused such a stir with his family. Dating a human was forbidden and he had to follow the rules since he didn't want to draw unwanted attention to her.

He was designated to being her friend; he didn't know how much longer he could handle that. He didn't have the overwhelming desire to bite her like Carlisle warned him that he would. Jasper was the only one affected by it, which was normal.

"You aren't as talkative as you normally are," she said as she rifled through her locker.

"I've got a lot on my mind."

"I can understand that," she said as she found her science notebook and started going through it.

Carlisle had said that it would be best if he didn't let her get close enough to suspect that something was going on. He fought an inner battle most days because all he wanted to do was take her away from everything and never come back. He wanted to protect her from all of the things that were going on around her. He didn't know how much more he could take of Mike Newton's talking about her.

He knew that he wasn't the only one who had fallen for her but he didn't like Mike, he had never liked him. Not liking someone was a new concept for Emmett, he got along with everyone. Rosalie had teased him when he had first been changed because he wasn't like the rest of them. Emmett was generally a happy person unless you messed with someone that was close to him.

Tyler Crawley still couldn't look at him after two years. It served the kid right; no one messed with Jasper and got away with it. Tyler had run like the wind when someone his size had confronted him. Emmett didn't expect him to cause any more trouble.

Bella closed her locker before turning to face him. He was looking down at his feet in concentration. Even though his eyes were cast down she noticed that his eyes were a lighter color than the last time she had looked into them directly. She had been afraid to do that since the color had thrown her off. They were a warm light brown shade today, almost a dark caramel color.

"Emmett?" she asked in concern.

"Sorry," he said shaking his head.

"Here are the notes for Edward," she said holding out the papers for him to take.

"Thanks," he said taking them.

"Tell him to keep him for as long as he needs them."

"I will," he said with a tight lipped smile.

"Do you wear contacts?" she asked curiously.

"No, why?" he asked.

"You're eyes look different than the last time I noticed them. They were almost black before."

"It's the fluorescents," he said dismissively.

"Oh, okay," she said laughing shyly.

"You aren't the first person to notice. Don't be embarrassed," he said as his eyes met hers.

Her breath hitched quickly, but she was able to recover before he noticed. Her heart on the other hand felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. What kind of pull did he have on her? She ran a hand through her hair to calm herself down.

"I'll see you on Monday," she said before moving around him.

"See you around," he called after her.

He watched her walk out the doors before pushing away from the lockers. It had taken a lot of planning and a lot of pleading on his part to talk Edward into staying away from her so that he could ask for the notes for him. He was grasping at straws in hopes of talking to her. He really needed to talk to Carlisle about what was going on. He was going stir crazy being forced to keep her in the dark.

Edward understood where he was coming from. He had waited two years for Rosalie to come around to the idea of them dating. That was why Edward was so accepting of Emmett's feelings towards Bella. He was drawn to her and there was no way to fight it.

XXXX

Bella sat on the couch reading a book while Charlie yelled at the TV. The hockey game had started only twenty minutes ago and the opposing team was already four points ahead. A car door shut outside and Bella got up from the couch to see who was there.

Billy's truck was parked behind hers and Jacob was getting Billy's chair out of the truck bed and a guy Jacob's age helped him into it. Another friend of Jacob's got out of the truck and the four of them made their way up the walkway. The longer haired guy and Jacob carried Billy's chair up the stairs while the taller guy carried an arm full of bags.

Bella opened the door as Jacob set Billy's chair on the porch.

"Hey," she said leaning against the doorjamb.

The two boys looked up, taking her in as they passed her. One had short curly hair while the others hair wasn't as long as Jacob's it did come to his shoulders.

"Hi," The long haired one said with a smile.

"Hey," The tall one said as he gave her another, very long once over.

"We brought more mouths to feed. I hope you don't mind," Billy said with a teasing smile.

"It's fine."

"Come in here," Jacob said jerking his head towards the kitchen.

Bella followed him to find the other two pulling things out of the bags and putting them away.

"So these are your two best friends?" she asked.

"Yep, this is Embry," he said pulling the long haired one into a head lock.

"Come on man, knock it off!" Embry said with a laugh.

"I'm Quil," The tall one said as he came to stand in front of her.

"Bella," she said with a smile.

"You know, the four of you don't have to hang out here. You can go out," Billy said from the living room.

"My truck only seats three," Bella said.

"Take mine," Charlie said over his shoulder.

"Do the three of you want to go?"

"Yeah, we can show you around," Jacob offered.

"I can make sandwiches for me and Billy. You haven't gone out and done anything without me since you got here."

"Be back by ten," Billy said.

"We will," Jacob said as he followed Quil and Embry out of the house.

Bella grabbed Charlie's keys and by the time she got to the truck the boys had already gotten in. Jacob and Embry were sandwiched in the back while Quil sat up front.

"Are the two of you going to be okay?"

"We'll be fine. Lucky for us we aren't going very far," Jacob said as she started the truck.

Quil gave her directions and pretty soon they were at the beach. It was windy and cold but the four of them sat on the beach watching the sun go down.

"I can see why you guys like it here. It's nice."

"It's not as nice as Arizona I bet," Jacob said.

"I didn't live near the beach in Arizona. I was surrounded by desert. So this is better."

A flock of seagulls dove into the ocean and came back out with fish in their mouths. Bella sat in between Jacob and Quil quietly taking in the scenery. She wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill as the wind picked up.

"Maybe we should have said that you would need a jacket," Quil said with a laugh.

"I'll be fine," she said with a shake of her head.

"Here, take mine," Quil said taking off his jacket.

He draped it over her shoulders but didn't take his arm away.

"Looks like fours a crowd," Embry said with a laugh.

"Shut up," Quil said smacking him upside the head.

"I should have warned you that they behave like animals," Jacob said with a laugh.

"I've dealt with worse," she said.

"We'll give the two of you a few minutes," Embry said before standing up.

"You okay?" Jacob asked as he stood.

"Yeah," Bella said with a nod.

Silence fell over them as Bella scooted closer to Quil. She trusted Jacob's judgment enough to know that Quil wouldn't hurt her. He seemed like a nice guy that she wanted to get to know a little better.

"We could go back to my house and hang out. At least it will be warmer there," Quil said after a few minutes.

"Sure."

"I'll text Jake and let him know," he said as he pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket.

He stood after he had put his phone away and held his hand out to her. She let him pull her up and he held her hand as they walked down the beach. A few minutes later they were at his house.

"I told him to meet us here. I guess he and Embry found something else to do," he said once they were inside.

"How long have the three of you been friends?"

"Ever since we could walk, my mom said the other day that Charlie used to bring you around before your parents divorced. All of us were too young to remember it."

"My dad didn't mention that," she said with a shake of her head.

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"That sounds good."

They were in the living room when his mom came home an hour later. Quil introduced them before his mom went up to bed. He draped his arm over the back of the couch and Bella leaned against him with her feet resting on the coffee table.

"Is this okay? I don't want to invade your space," she asked looking up at him.

"It's okay," he said with a small smile.

His phone went off and he opened it. Jacob had finally texted him back.

I told my dad that I went home because I was tired. Have fun, Embry says he wants to know everything tomorrow.

His smile widened as he shut his phone.

"Was that Jake?"

"Yeah, he went home. He decided to call it a night."

"So you'll be the one going back to help Billy?"

"Looks like it."

She nodded before turning her attention back to the movie. He arm slid down the couch to fall over her shoulders and she looked up at him with an amused look.

"What?"

"I know what you're doing."

"What am I doing?" he asked giving her an innocent look.

"I'm surprised that you just went for it. You do get points for originality."

He nodded his head in approval before finally cracking a grin. She continued looking at him until his eyes met hers.

"You aren't shy are you?"

"No," he said with a laugh.

"I'm not either. So if you try anything else I want you to be upfront with me."

"You're not shy?"

"I may have some self-conscious issues, but I have always been vocal about what I want."

"Good to know," he said with a nod.

They got lost in the movie again until Bella realized that it was almost nine thirty.

"We should go."

"I'm gonna go tell my mom that I'm leaving."

"I'll meet you outside."

The ride to her house was filled with questions about their lives, their likes and dislikes and everything else that you ask a person when you are just getting to know them. He put a hand on her arm to stop her when she moved to open the door once they were at her house.

"Hold on a second," he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because I don't want to get caught kissing you by your dad," he said before leaning in.

His lips were soft and gentle over hers. He cupped her neck with one hand before applying more pressure. She slid across the seat to close the gap between them and placed her hands on his shoulders. His tongue swept across her bottom lip and she let him in. His hand tangled in her hair before the light on the porch was turned on. Quil pulled away with a sigh.

"Is he at the window?" she asked.

"Billy is."

"That's not so bad."

"We should go inside," he said before opening his door.

Inside Billy was in the kitchen with Charlie when Bella and Quil walked in.

"What did you two do tonight?" Charlie asked.

"We hung out at his house."

"Embry went home too?" Billy asked.

"Yes Sir," Quil said with a nod.

They were in the truck on the way home a few minutes later.

"So, did the three of you draw straws to see who would get to date her?"

"It's not like that," Quil said with a shake of his head.

"Then how is it?"

"She's nice, and she's funny. She's the first girl who hasn't run for the hills when I talk to her."

"That is important. Guys like you are hard to understand. I'm glad that you found somebody who gets you. I want to point out that if you hurt her I'll hurt you. She's like a daughter to me. I may be in a wheel chair but that doesn't mean my fists don't work."

"I understand."

"Just don't fall too fast."

"I'll try not to," Quil said with a laugh.

The rest of the ride to his house was quiet and he was left to his thoughts. He hadn't planned on anything happening with Bella. Jacob had told him and Embry about her and she had seemed like someone who he could feel comfortable being himself around. Most girls didn't appreciate his sarcasm or humor. Bella had laughed at all of his jokes; she was definitely someone worth getting to know.

XXXX

Emmett lay on the couch with an arm behind his head while he stared at the ceiling. He was thinking about the best way to talk to Carlisle the truth. He figured it would be best to be honest since Edward and Alice were the only ones who knew the truth. He knew that if he was upfront and just came out and said how he felt about her Carlisle would understand. He might even let her come over to meet him and Esme.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Carlisle asked from the entrance to the room.

"Thanks Bro," Emmett called with a sigh.

"Anytime," Edward answered from upstairs.

"What's on your mind?" Carlisle asked as he came to sit in the high back chair that was next to the couch.

Emmett sat up and put his hands on his knees.

"It's about Bella."

"We've talked about this Emmett. It isn't good for you to be around her," Carlisle admonished.

"I haven't been honest with you about her."

"What haven't you told me?"

"You haven't seen the way I am with her. Edward, Alice, Rosalie, and Jasper have. Alice and Edward think that she might be my mate."

"But you aren't sure?" Carlisle asked in concern.

"How can I be sure if I only see her at school? All I know is that I feel the same way about her that I did about Mallory."

Emmett hadn't said his wife's name in months. He hadn't been married long before he had been changed but he had been in love with Mallory for years. He had gone to see her when he could over the years until she had died a few years ago. He wanted to make sure that she was happy and that her life was meaningful. She had eventually remarried and gone on to have three children. She had told all of them about him, talking about him with the sentiment that had let him know that she had felt the same way about him. He wished that he could have talked to her, told her that he was sorry for leaving her the way he had, but he knew that she would never have understood.

"So this is serious?" Carlisle asked as his eyebrows furrowed together.

"Yes it is."

"I wish that you had told me this sooner. But I am glad that you've found someone that makes you happy. She still cannot know what we are Emmett."

"I understand."

"Bring her by. I'm sure that Esme would like to meet her."

"Yes Sir."

Carlisle put a hand on his knee, patting it lightly before walking out of the room. Alice came into the room and sat next to him. She slipped her feet into his lap as she leaned against the other end of the couch. He rubbed her leg lightly in greeting.

"Would you like to see what your future holds?" she asked with a smile.

"Do you know something?" he asked turning his head to look at her.

"No, but it shouldn't be too hard."

"Don't tell me too much, I want to be surprised."

"I can do that," she said with a nod.

She was silent for a few minutes before a small smile tugged at her lips.

"You are going to be very happy," she sat putting a hand on his shoulder.

"I can live with that."

"I would hope so. You've been waiting seventy years for someone to come along."

"What do you think of her?"

"She's nice, and she's smart, she's a lucky girl."

"There is one thing that I want to know."

"She will be very excepting when you tell her."

"Have I told you that you're my favorite?" he asked with a wide smile.

"You're my favorite too. Just don't tell Jazz," she said with a teasing smile.

He reached for her hand and she let him pull her into his lap. He didn't know what he would do without her and Edward sometimes. They were complete opposites but yet they both had the patience to listen to him whenever he wanted to talk. He was grateful that they had been put in his life.


	3. A Complication

**Disclaimer:**

**Emmett: Donna does not own Twilight.**

**Me: No, I do not.**

**E: Would a hug make you feel better?**

**M: You know me so well.**

**AN: I feel that it is important when someone ****reads a good book that they should let others know. I read the Blue Bloods Series by Melissa de la Cruz a few years ago and I highly recommend it. It is another vampire series, but it is so addictive. I haven't read My Bloody Valentine yet, and I think ****that was the last one to be released. I am reminded of this now because Melissa recently released the first book in a new series called The Witches of East End. I finished it in five hours. I was not able to put it down. So I definitely recommend all o****f her books to you guys.**

Bella ran her brush through her hair slowly, trying to get out an unruly tangle. Once she was satisfied with her hair she pulled it back from her face with a simple silver clip. She applied a little eye shadow and mascara before slicking some chap stick over her lips. She had never been a lipstick kind of girl.

Charlie came to stand at her bedroom door watching her curiously. He was glad that she'd made friends with the boys but he wasn't so sure that going out with Quil was a good idea. Things could get messy between them if things didn't work out. He doubted that Bella wanted to drag Jacob into the middle of things and make him choose sides.

Bella had told him that things weren't serious between her and Quil and that it was only one date and that he had no reason to worry. That didn't stop Charlie from reminding her to keep things casual and not to get in over her head. He pushed away from the door to sit on the edge of her bed.

"Tell me again what the plan is for tonight," he said.

"We're going to the movies. I'll be home by ten since it's a school night."

"Just checking," he answered.

A car could be heard pulling up out front and Bella went to the window to see who it was.

"Mae just dropped Quil off. Can you let him in?"

"You can't answer the door? He is here to see you," Charlie asked, his eyebrows scrunched together in confusion.

"Dad, a girl should never answer the door. The guy is supposed to wait," she said as she clipped a small silver hoop into her right ear.

"I have always thought that was a dumb rule," he muttered as he stood.

"It's still a rule," she called as he walked down the stairs.

Bella put her other earring in before giving herself a once over. Her dark purple and slate gray striped long sleeve tight fitting polo shirt showed off her boobs but didn't call too much attention to them. Her jeans were tight, but not so tight that she couldn't breathe. She slipped on her shoes before heading downstairs.

Charlie and Quil were in the kitchen while she grabbed her jacket from the hall closet. She was pulling it on as she stood behind Charlie at the kitchen table. Charlie went back into the living room a few seconds later. Bella grabbed her keys from the counter while Quil looked around the corner into the living room. She was looking up at him expectantly when he focused his attention on her finally. He smiled down at her before leaning down. He kissed her gently before quickly pulling away.

"Hi," she said smiling back at him.

"Hi," he said.

She took hold of his hand and pulled him to the front door. She opened it but didn't walk out right away.

"Dad, we're leaving."

"Have fun you two," Charlie called.

Once inside the truck he scooted across the seat to sit next to her. The hour ride to Port Angeles was filled with laughter and the conversation flowed from one subject to the next. At the movie theater he waited by the front entrance while Bella bought their tickets. In the concession line they stood side by side, shoulders touching, talking quietly. Someone called her name and she searched the room to find the person. Her eyes locked with Emmett's as he walked towards them.

"Do you know him?" Quil asked.

"We go to school together," she said.

Emmett smiled when Bella waved at him. She lost her train of thought as he walked the last few yards to them.

"Hi," he said, still smiling.

"Hi," Bella said slowly.

"Who's this?" Emmett said looking at Quil.

"He's Quil, Quil this is Emmett," she said as she finally found her voice.

"Hi," Quil said with a nod.

"Hey," Emmett said as his smile widened.

Bella turned towards Quil to keep herself from looking at Emmett. His smile was so genuine and pretty much amazing. She guessed that he could get whatever he wanted just by smiling at someone.

"Are you here with anyone?" Quil asked.

"Nope, it's just me. Are you two here on a date?"

"Yeah, we are," Bella answered.

"I should leave the two of you alone then. I'll see you tomorrow Bella."

"Tomorrow," Bella said with a nod.

Emmett waved, still smiling before walking away. He had a smile that could light up a room. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was on a date with Quil and yet she had been rendered speechless by Emmett. What was going on?

"Are you okay?" Quil asked.

"Yeah, he just caught me off guard."

"He goes to school with you?"

"Mm hmm," she said as they moved up in the line.

"He looks like he should be in college."

"He's a senior, so he'll be in college next year."

She felt like someone's eyes were on her so she scanned the lobby once more to see Emmett waiting in line to go back to the movie theaters. He waved again and this time she waved back. There was no need to let him know that he had affected her in any way.

The lights were still up when they walked into the theater. They sat in the back bottom row of the mostly empty room. They heard the door to the theater open then heard footsteps walking up the stairs to the balcony.

"I'm glad that you said yes when I asked you out," Quil whispered.

"I was surprised that you waited until Wednesday. I was starting to think that you didn't like me as much as I thought you did."

"I do. Embry told me that girls like to be kept in suspense. I should have known not to listen to him. He can't keep a girl around for longer than a couple of weeks."

"Don't listen to him again," she said laughing lightly.

"I learned my lesson, trust me. You like me huh?"

"I do. You're not like the guys I knew in Phoenix."

"What was so bad about them?"

"They were mostly interested in talking about themselves. All they were interested in was getting me into the back seat of their car."

"Then they were jerks, all of them. Guys from Washington are different. We take things slow; we listen to what you have to say."

"I'm starting to realize that. Most of the guys I go to school with follow me around like I'm Giselle or something."

"You are way prettier than Giselle Buchen."

"You forgot to mention that you're honest."

"You already knew that, so that went without saying," he said with a shrug.

Bella laughed shyly as she shook her head. The house lights went down and a movie trailer started. Quil draped an arm over her shoulders and she lifted the arm rest. She moved closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He leaned down to whisper in her ear as the movie theater started to fill with more people.

In the balcony Emmett leaned over the edge watching Bella and Quil interact. He could hear their conversation like he was sitting behind them. It was perfectly innocent, even if they were flirting. He pulled his phone out of jacket for the second time since running into them before shoving it back in with a sigh. He was not going to call Edward so that he could pick the kids brain. He could see and hear that things were under control, either the kid was brutally honest or he lacked the edit button that most people had. He saw a lot of himself in Quil; he had a different way of handling things than most people did. Edward told him constantly that he shouldn't be so trusting and that he had the mind of a teenager. He may think like the kid, but there was nothing innocent about him. If he wasn't careful he would ruin everything and tell Bella the truth before she was ready to hear it. He'd had the conversation with her in his mind at least a dozen times, every time she reacted a different way.

"You got a girl down there Son?" Someone from behind him asked.

Emmett looked over his shoulder to see a guy who looked like he could be Carlisle's age looking at him in concern.

"No, they're just a friend," Emmett said with a shake of his head.

"Could you sit down so the rest of us can see the movie? You're blocking the entire screen almost," The guy asked politely.

"Sorry," Emmett said with a polite smile.

He made his way down the stairs and sat on the bottom one just out of sight. Bella turned her head to look at Quil and he leaned in. Emmett shook his head in frustration before pushing himself off the steps. He shouldn't have followed them. His movie had probably already started so he decided to just go home. His phone vibrated as he started his Jeep. He opened it to see a text from Alice.

You're on your way home already? Was the movie that bad?

Bella was there.

…?

She was there with another guy.

I guess I should have warned you about him.

I can't even be mad about it. He's a nice kid.

I know.

I'll talk to you when I get home.

He shut his phone before tossing it onto the passenger seat. It vibrated again and he ignored it. It vibrated again and he contemplated throwing it out the window. It wasn't like him to get angry so easily. He prided himself on being the calmest person in the family other than Jasper. That was why they got along so well.

Edward was in the living room when Emmett came in an hour later.

"Where have you been?"

"I needed to be alone. We're you the one texting me?"

"That was Jasper. I've been to the movie theater. The kid is harmless. I wouldn't worry about it."

"Why would you do that?"

"I figured that you would want to know where you stood."

"I do, but I don't like the idea of you probing people's minds just because Bella is with them."

"Do you want to know what I found out or not?"

"What did you find out?"

"Come upstairs and I'll tell you," Edward said before standing from the couch.

Emmett followed him up the stairs shaking his head the whole way. Edward shut his and Rosalie's bedroom door behind them.

"I want you to know that what is going on between her and this guy isn't going to last very long."

"How much probing did you do?"

"He likes another girl. The girl is playing hard to get and the kid is trying to find a way to keep his mind off of her."

"He's using Bella?"

"I'm almost positive."

Emmett threw open the door and stalked down the hall to Jasper and Alice's room. He knocked as lightly as he could but still managed to rattle the door. Jasper opened the door giving him a surprised look.

"I need to talk to Alice."

"She isn't going to get hurt. If I knew that she would be, I would tell you," Alice reassured him.

"Is he using her?"

"Yes. It won't last much longer."

"How much damage will be done?"

"Absolute none, she's resilient; she'll even stay friends with him," Alice said with a smile.

"Not if I have anything to say about it," Emmett snarled.

"Would you feel better if I called her tomorrow?"

"You'll put it on speaker phone so I can hear?"

"If you'd like; they aren't serious. He's the first boy to take the time to listen to her and tell her that she's pretty, she doesn't know what to think of him."

"Are you alright now?" Jasper asked.

"Yes."

"Well, I have been rendered useless. Thank you Alice," he said kissing her forehead.

"Everything is going to be fine," Alice said with a reassuring smile.

Emmett nodded before walking away. He would never be able to be around Quil again without wanting to beat him senseless. He had never been this mad before, not even when he was human. This was all new to him and he didn't know what to make of it. He did know that he would be there to pick Bella up when Quil finally decided that she wasn't the right girl for him.

He would be the sympathetic friend and her shoulder to lean on and he would work his charm on her. Her reaction to seeing him tonight hadn't gone unnoticed. He wouldn't have to do much. He would be everything she wanted him to be.

XXXX

The portable phone in her dad's room rang as Bella was just about to get to the good part of her book. She heaved a sigh as she set the book down and pulled herself off the bed. The house phone rarely ever rang since she and her dad both had cell phones. This was only the second time she had heard it ring since she moved in.

She made it through the maze of dirty clothes on the floor and sidestepped his hunting boots as she made her way across the room to the nightstand. The phone had rung three times so far and she wanted to pick it up before the never used answering machine picked up. She had the phone in her hand before it could ring a fourth time.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Is this Bella?"

"Yes it is. Who's this?"

"Hi Bella, this is Alice, Alice Cullen."

"Hi," Bella said in surprise.

Bella and Alice hadn't talked much since that first initial meeting; even though she talked to Emmett and Edward every day.

"You're probably wondering how I got your number."

"The thought had crossed my mind," Bella said laughing nervously.

"I looked it up in the phone book."

"Oh," Bella said matter of factly.

"The reason I'm calling is that I noticed that you haven't made many friends who are girls. Almost every boy at our school who has our lunch has migrated to your table. I figured at least one of them had asked you out. Speaking as someone who is in a committed, long term relationship I can give you advice if you'd like."

"You could?" Bella asked in confusion.

"Of course," Alice said brightly.

"Did Emmett tell you that he ran into me last night?"

"He did mention that. I have to say that I am glad that you weren't out with one of the boys that we go to school with. They are seriously lacking on the sophistication scale if you know what I mean."

"I had noticed that they can't seem to take a hint."

"So are things serious with this boy?"

"Not really, last night was our first date and I've only seen him one other time before that. We're still getting to know each other."

"You should keep things casual until you know for sure if he's serious about you."

"I had planned on it, but thanks for the tip."

"I'm just passing on advice, it's what friends do."

They were friends? When had that happened? Yes Alice was nice, but Bella hadn't given the girl a second thought since meeting her. Maybe she should give Alice a chance after all. Emmett didn't seem like a bad guy, and he said that his siblings weren't much different than him once you got to know them.

"How about I give you my cell number? Our house line doesn't get used that much since my Dad is rarely home and I have my own phone."

"That would be great."

Bella gave her the number and then Alice said that she had to go. Bella's eyebrows knitted together in concern as she moved to put the phone back on the charger. She thought better of it as she searched her dad's nightstand for a scrap of paper and a pen. She found a receipt from the diner and a pencil in the drawer. She felt a little guilty for going through his things as she wrote down the number on the phone. She walked out of the room five minutes after she had walked in it.

At the Cullen's Alice shut her phone while looking at Emmett. He sat at the foot of his bed with hands on his knees. Sometimes it was easier than others to guess what he was thinking. Right now she couldn't and wished that Edward was with them. His face showed no emotion as he looked down at his hands.

"Do you feel better now? You've heard it from her, things aren't serious between them."

"I heard," Emmett mumbled.

"Then why aren't you happy?" she asked with a sigh.

"I actually have a chance with her and it scares me. I haven't put the moves on a girl in over seventy years Alice. What if I screw it up?"

"You've been with girls before, why is Bella any different?"

"Because I haven't had to try with them, they've just fallen at my feet, and none of them have been human."

"I understand the predicament now. You don't think you can control yourself."

"I can't touch her even though my skin itches with want to close my hand around hers."

"That is so sweet," Alice said before putting a hand over her heart.

"What should I do?"

"Test the waters, you'll have to get used to being close to her since you offered to be her partner in Gym for the next few weeks."

"We'll be playing tennis," he said as he clenched his eyes shut.

"Is she bad at sports?"

"Accident prone is more like it. I may have bitten off more than I can chew," he said remorsefully.

"You are going to be pushed to your limit, that's for sure."

"I'll have to hunt more often."

"You do what you have to do," Alice said putting a hand on his.

"Thank you for calling her."

"Think nothing of it," she said with a wink.

Emmett rose from the bed but stopped at the door when Alice called his name from the door. He looked over his shoulder at her with a curious look.

"Do you remember her number?" she asked.

He grinned before tapping his temple. She smiled back and then he walked down the hall to his room. In his room he looked out his window to look out over the back property line. Beyond the house was dense forest and in that forest was a cabin that he used when he needed to get away from everything. He would more than likely be using it for a while since Rosalie, Carlisle, Jasper, and Edward had warned him not to do anything rash when it came to Bella. He didn't need them nagging him every five seconds.

XXXX

It was Wednesday before they started actually playing tennis. They were designated to playing inside since it was pouring down raining. Bella didn't see a point in playing since they couldn't go outside but the teacher had insisted that the weather would eventually be nice enough for them to take the game outside. She waited for Emmett while he went to get them tennis racquets and a ball. Mike came to stand a few feet away and she turned to look at him.

"Do you have a partner yet?" he asked shyly.

"I'm partners with Emmett. Do you not have a partner?"

"I do, but I would have backed out if you needed someone."

"Well I don't, and I don't think that would have been fair to your partner," she said giving him an admonishing look.

"We could play doubles. There's a court open in the corner," he said pointing to a part of the gym that wasn't being used.

There would be less of a threat of her hitting anyone except Emmett. She nodded then saw Emmett walking towards them.

"Is it okay if we play doubles with Mike and his partner?"

"Sure," he said with a nod.

"Great," Mike said with a forced smile.

Emmett fell back while Mike walked beside Bella. Jessica met them half way and walked on the other side of Mike. She talked animatedly about how pointless it was to be playing tennis inside and the dangers that it caused. Emmett saw Bella flinch with every injury that Jessica prattled off. Mike nodded but didn't offer much input.

Once they were at their court Emmett handed Bella a racquet without looking at her. He served first and the ball sailed easily over the net into Jessica's space. She hit the ball back but it bounced off the net.

"Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"That's fine," Emmett said as he retrieved the ball which had fallen onto their side.

He handed it back to Jessica and she waited for him to get back into position. Her serve went over the next and bounced three feet in front of Bella. She clenched her eyes shut as she swung. She felt the ball connect with her racquet but didn't open her eyes. She heard someone yell in surprise making her open one eye.

"I hit someone didn't I?"

"You hit Mrs. Weatherly," Jessica answered with wide eyes.

Sure enough the female gym teacher was walking towards them holding the ball in one hand and rubbing the side of her head with the other.

"I am so sorry."

"It's alright Miss Swan. You've got some back swing. You might want to tone it down though. Save that for when we take it outside," The teacher said as she handed Bella back the ball.

"It's okay Bella, serve it back. Just like you and I talked about yesterday," Mike said in encouragement.

Bella tossed the ball into the air and this time she kept her eyes open as she swung at the ball. The ball went over the net and bounced into Mike's space. The ball was kept away from her for most of the game unless it was her turn to serve. She had only hit herself once and she thankfully hadn't hit Emmett at all. She heaved a heavy sigh of relief when the bell rang signaling the end of class.

"You didn't do too bad, better than you thought you would I bet," Jessica said as they walked to the locker room.

"Yeah, I even surprised myself."

"Emmett was pretty nice about doing most of the work."

"I forgot to thank him," Bella said with a groan.

"It can wait until tomorrow."

Bella zipped her jacket to ward off the chill as soon as she stepped outside. The wind had picked up since she had been outside after lunch. Her hair was blown in her face and she hurriedly pushed it back behind her ears. She made it to her truck and was digging through her bag for her keys when she felt someone watching her.

She looked over her left shoulder first and saw all of the Cullen's except Emmett and Edward by Edward's car. They were talking to each other but none of them were looking at her so she continued her search. By the doors that she had walked out of just a minute before Emmett stood with Edward. He was pointing in Bella's direction and Emmett was nodding his head. Emmett's eyes met hers and she watched him curiously. Were they talking about her? If so, what could they possibly be talking about? She hasn't caused enough trouble during gym to warrant a conversation as heated as the one between them looked. Edward looked up with a stressed look and his eyes soon found hers. He shook his head before walking away. Emmett's eyes were still locked on hers and as much as she fought it she could not pull her eyes away from his. He walked towards her with his eyes cast down. He stopped at the front of her truck to lean against it.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he said with a nod.

"Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to say that you did a good job today."

"That was partially because of you. You played both sides so that I wouldn't make an idiot out of myself. So thank you."

"You're welcome Bella," he said as he looked at her from underneath his eyelashes with a crooked smile.

Her breath hitched as she gave him a forced smile. She tried to compose herself as he continued to look at her. Alice came to stand in between them a minute later when neither said anything else.

"Are you ready to go Emmett?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow," he said to Bella before pushing away from the truck and walking towards his family.

"Bye," Bella said with a wave.

"See you around Bella," Alice called over her shoulder.

"See you around," Bella agreed.

Bella got into her truck trying to push what had just happened to the back of her mind. She pulled out and got in line behind Jessica. She saw the Cullen's gathered around Edward's car and they were all now looking at her except for Alice who was getting in the backseat of the car. Her eyes met Emmett's once more and he waved with a small smile. She waved back with a small smile of her own before moving up in the line.

That family had the strangest effect on her. Edward had barely said a word to her unless needed in a week. Emmett seemed nicer than usual but yet kept his usual distance. Alice was the weirdest of all because Bella couldn't understand why the girl all of the sudden wanted to reach out to her. She guessed that something's were destined to remain a mystery until the right time.


	4. Confused, Yet Forgiving

**Disclaimer: **

**I own Twilight!**

**Jasper: No you don't, Sugar.**

**M: You're right, I don't. You're vampire mind tricks work well on me.**

Bella knew that something was going on with Emmett. She couldn't pinpoint what it was, but she had the sneaking suspicion that she was the cause of it. Had she hit him with a tennis ball or her racquet in gym without realizing it? No, she was actually holding her own now that she was starting to get the hang of it. She was no Venus or Serena, but she got by. It had to be something else.

She wracked her brain trying to think of a plausible reason as to why Emmett was so distant while she dressed for school. Edward was starting to be nice to her. He wasn't as cold towards her. He had started talking to her again. Alice called her almost every night and Bella was actually starting to think of her as a close friend. Emmett's sudden mood change had started three weeks ago, the day after she had run into him with Quil. Did she say or do something that night to push him away? She hadn't been able to make eye contact with him and she had been flustered, but that was a usual reaction when it came to Emmett.

Charlie was downstairs when she made her way into the kitchen fifteen minutes later. She had lost track of time and was in danger of being late for school if she didn't leave immediately. She grabbed a soda from the refrigerator and a granola bar from the pantry before quickly getting her things together.

"Is something wrong? You're usually gone by now," Charlie observed.

"I was working on some last minute homework and lost track of time."

"Maybe next time you won't save it for the last minute," he said giving her a concerned look.

"Yes sir," she said as she shouldered her bag.

"We've been invited to Billy's for dinner. He's having a barbeque since it's supposed to be nice tonight."

"Okay," she said as she opened the door.

She didn't see how it was going to be nice tonight. There were the same gray clouds as always surrounding the area as far as she could see when she got into the truck. Maybe they would be gone by tonight. She hadn't seen Quil in a week and a half. He had gotten grounded for fighting in school and he had passed along a message to Jacob that he would be able to do something that weekend if she wanted to. Maybe he would be at Jacob's tonight, but she wasn't going to hold her breath.

At school the parking lot was almost completely full. It took her a few minutes to find a parking spot in the back. She almost missed the only parking space in the lot because she couldn't see past the jacked up gray jeep that was next to it. Who in the right mind would buy something like that? She strained her neck to look at it before getting out of the truck. She wouldn't have been able to get into it without help. She pushed the thought from her mind as she opened her door. She popped the top on her drink as she started to walk towards school.

"Hey Bella," Alice called from behind her.

Bella turned to see three out of five of the Cullen's leaning against the Jeep. Jasper waved in greeting, a smile not quiet reaching his eyes. Emmett couldn't even look at her.

"Hey Alice, Jasper," she said before turning to walk away.

It was obvious that the Bella sized wall that Emmett had put up was still in place and she wasn't going to push her luck trying to get his attention. Inside school Jessica called her name from her locker. She made her way over; throwing away her drink can on the way.

"How was your weekend?"

"It was boring. I didn't do anything."

"You didn't go see that guy you've been seeing?" Jessica asked as she pulled a binder from her bag to put it in her locker.

"We aren't serious, and no I didn't. He was grounded."

"What's his name again?"

"His name is Quil. What did you do this weekend?"

"I hung out at the diner with Eric and Angela Friday night. If I had known that you were free I would have called and asked if you wanted to come."

"It's cool. I had some laundry and cleaning that I needed to catch up on."

"Ugh, thanks for reminding me. I have to do my laundry when I get home," she said scrunching up her face in disgust.

"Sorry," Bella said impishly.

"It's no big. I'll see you in Calculus," Jessica said closing her locker.

"See you."

She continued down the hall to her locker and was able to beat Jessica to class. She saw Alice and Edward in the front row as she passed them. He was leaning against Alice's desk while she wrote something down. She was copying down the homework assignment when Jessica came in just as the bell rang.

She took notes and tried to pay attention to the dull lecture that the teacher was giving but she got enough out of it to understand what to do. She bolted from her seat as soon as the bell rang grabbing her bag as she walked. Alice and Edward still beat her out the door as usual but she wasn't going to worry about that.

The rest of her day passed slowly and she was grateful for the chance to have some social interaction when it was time for lunch. She sat at her normal table in between Mike and Eric with her back to the Cullen's. Jessica sat across from her looking over her shoulder.

"Emmett Cullen is looking at you," she told Bella.

"Is that supposed to bother me?" Bella asked trying to sound indifferent.

"No. I was starting to think that he forgotten you had existed. He was so nice to you when you first got here and for the past almost month he's been acting like he has Bella blinders."

"Maybe one of the other Cullen's is talking about me," she said with a shrug.

"No. They aren't talking and he's the only one looking. He's getting up."

"I don't need a play by play Jess. Just don't worry about it."

"You didn't see the way that he was looking at you. It was like he was debating on if he should come over here or not. He looked really conflicted."

"Obviously he decided not to," Bella said as Emmett pushed open the cafeteria doors.

She pushed the conversation to the back of her mind as she gathered her things. She stood and Mike and Eric stood too.

"Sit down you guys. I don't need the two of you to walk me to the library. I'll see you in gym," she said before walking away.

She briskly walked out of the cafeteria to see Emmett turn a corner at the end of the hall. She jogged to the end of the hall and almost ran into him. She skidded to a halt inches from his chest.

"Do you need something?" he asked.

"You and I need to talk," she said tilting her head to look up at him.

"Could you back away? You're kind of in my space."

"Sorry." she said shoving her hair out of her face with a sigh then moved back a few feet.

"You were saying?"

"Did I do something wrong? Have I offended you in any way? If I have I would like the chance to apologize."

He chuckled softly as he shook his head. She hadn't expected that reaction from him.

"You haven't done anything wrong so there is no apology needed."

"Then what is with the silent treatment? I thought we were friends."

"We're too different," he said shaking his head.

"Well maybe you should have thought of that before. I miss talking to you. You are one of the most normal people that I have met since I moved here."

"You think I'm normal?" he asked with a laugh.

"You haven't thrown yourself at me or asked me out or hovered over me like I'm your girlfriend, so yes I'd say that you are as close to normal as I am going to get at this school."

"I am not normal Bella, I am far from it," he said quietly.

"So you're going to shut me out? Just like that? Don't I have a say so in the decision?" she accused.

"You'll be fine. You'll have Quil to fall back on."

"What does he have to do with how you are treating me? You don't even know him," she asked giving him a questioning look.

"We shouldn't be friends Bella. I'm sorry for making you think otherwise," Emmett said before walking around her.

She turned, watching him walk away. Part of her wanted to go after him and part of her was scared that he might say something else to try to hurt her. She had to admit that what he had said hurt, but she wasn't going to let it get to her. She was going to leave him alone and hope that he would see that he was wrong. Hopefully it wouldn't take very long.

XXXX

Bella declined Jessica's offer to go to the library to study for a Calculus test that they had on Wednesday after school. She planned on heading down to La Push straight from school. She was hoping that some time with Jacob would be a good distraction to keep her from rehashing her day. Emmett's words had been harsh, but his callous attitude during gym had hurt her more than she wanted to admit. He had talked Coach Weatherly into letting him switch partners with Tyler without even talking to her. Tyler wasn't as good as Emmett was about playing both sides of their side of the court and he expected her to pull her weight. She had hit herself upside the head with the racquet when she tried to serve. Then she had hit Tyler in the back of the head with the ball when she tried to dig the ball away from the boundary line. He wasn't as gracious as Mike was about getting hit. She was starting to realize that he wasn't as nice as he made himself out to be.

At Jacob's Jacob and Embry were working on a dirt bike in the front yard. Jacob looked over his shoulder before sending her a welcoming grin. He set down the wrench that he was using to tighten the cover to the body of the bike and made his way over to her. She smiled back as she crossed the last few yards to him.

"I didn't think that you would be here until later," he said.

"I finished my homework at school so I decided to come over early," she said with a shrug.

"You know Quil isn't coming tonight, right?"

"I know," she said with a nod.

"He's gonna be pissed when he finds out that you were here," Embry said from the other side of the bike.

"I plan on seeing him this weekend."

"Speak of the devil," Jacob said with a laugh.

He jerked his head up the road towards Quil's house and Bella saw him on the front porch.

"You can go up there if you want. His mom won't be home for at least an hour."

"I came to see you," she said playfully shoving him.

"Go and see him for a little while. I'll still be here when you get back."

"Are you sure?"

"If you don't he'll just come down here," Embry said shoving his hair out of his eyes.

With her mind made up Bella set off up the road. A jeep passed her after she had crossed the street. The driver nodded with a polite smile and she smiled back. Quil met her at the bottom of the stairs. She stopped a few feet away from him.

"I didn't come down here so I could get you in trouble."

"Then don't go around the side of the house. My granddad will see you," he said with a laugh.

"I was going to call you on Friday to see if you wanted to do anything this weekend."

"I can definitely do something on Friday," he said with a nod.

"Good," she said with a smile.

"Are you okay? You seem a little distracted."

"I confronted a friend of mine today. They've been acting weird lately. I think I made things worse."

"They must not be that good of a friend if they're pushing you away."

"He's a good guy; at least I thought he was. He's the only person to be nice to me that didn't have ulterior motives."

"Has someone asked you out?"

"There are a few guys who have asked me out. One of them tries too hard, another I think of as just a friend, and the other is a complete tool."

"If this guy doesn't want to be friends with you than that's his loss," he said opening his arms.

She laid her head against his chest letting him pull her against him. He was completely different than any other guy that she had met since she had moved to Washington. Jacob and Embry weren't like the guys she went to school with either. She could see herself building lifelong friendships with the three of them.

She sighed into his chest as he tightened his grip on her. She tilted her head so that she was looking up at him before kissing his cheek. He turned his head to meet her lips, kissing her lightly. He pulled away looking down at her. All of her worries from that afternoon were gone. She hadn't expected to forget about what had happened so easily. Her cell phone rang making her sigh into his neck. He pulled it out of her jacket pocket to look at the caller ID.

"Who's Alice?"

"The before mentioned friends sister," she said with a sigh.

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"Not really. She's always telling me that I need to give him his space; yet he's a wonderful and good person. It's like she's telling me that I'm the problem."

"Okay, I'm going to press ignore," he said before sliding the phone back into her pocket.

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

He leaned down to brush his lips to her forehead before pulling away. He knew that it was close to the time that his mom would come home. He didn't want to have to cancel his date with her on Friday because his mom had added on more time.

"You should head back. I'll call you Friday."

"Okay," she said with a nod.

She stepped out of his embrace and turned to walk away when he called her name. She turned to face him and he gave her a worried look.

"You shouldn't let this guy bother you. It's obvious that he didn't care enough to be up front and honest with you."

She nodded before turning to walk down the driveway. Her phone beeped letting her know that she had a voice mail and she sighed. She would check it later. Her phone rang again as she was walking through Jacob's yard. She pulled it out of her pocket but didn't notice the number. She opened it with her eyebrows knitted together.

"Hello?"

"Hi Bella," A smooth voice that she recognized said.

"Hey Edward," she said with a sigh.

"Is now a bad time?"

"I'm just wondering why you've called me. You don't talk to me unless you have to."

"I'm just a middle man, here's Alice."

Bella's groan of frustration wasn't missed by Edward. He didn't like that Alice was so frantic to get in touch with her. What could be so important? She was hiding her thoughts from him and when she took the phone from him she shoved him out of his own room before putting the phone to her ear.

"Bella, are you ignoring me?" Alice asked.

"I didn't answer the phone when you called for a reason Alice. I can guess what you want to talk to me about. I'm only going to warn you once, if you've called me to talk about what happened with Emmett I am going to hang up."

"I don't want you to give up on him," she said hurriedly.

Well, she hadn't expected her to say that. She sighed with a shake of her head.

"I'm guessing since I don't hear a dial tone that you're still there. He is going through a lot right now. He means well, but he isn't thinking clearly."

"Obviously," Bella said with a light laugh.

"If you would just lay low for a while, don't try to talk to him, I am sure that he will come around."

"Why are you telling me this? Usually you tell me that I am the reason that he's acting the way he is."

"Technically you are. He doesn't know how to act around you; he's being pulled in different directions. He's very conflicted."

"How am I a part of what is going on with him?"

"I can't get into that right now. But trust me, you have done nothing wrong. I am sorry for making you think that you have. Just keep doing what you're doing. And don't bum rush him like you did today."

"Sure," she said in a clipped tone.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Alice said lightly.

Bella slid the phone shut as she sat down on the porch. Jacob and Embry sat on the railing looking down at her.

"What's wrong with you?" Jacob asked.

"I'm having problems with a friend from school. That was their sister. Apparently I am the problem, even though I've done nothing wrong."

"What?" Embry asked in confusion.

"I don't know," she said with a shrug.

"How long has this been going on?" Jacob asked.

"A few weeks, I don't understand it. He was so nice to me, and then all of the sudden it was like I had the plague and he didn't want anything to do with me."

"So this is about a guy?" Embry asked.

"We were just friends. I'm friends with his sister and I'm civil with his brothers too if that matters."

"What do you think started it?" Jacob asked.

"I don't know. He ran into me and Quil at the movies and ever since... Shit," she groaned.

"You know what that means," Jacob said with a laugh.

"Yeah, I do," she said with a sigh.

"What are you gonna do?" Embry asked.

"I've been asked to stay away from him for a while, so I guess I could give him space."

"What about Quil?" Embry asked.

"I like him, what's going on with Emmett doesn't change that."

"You don't have any feelings for this other guy?"

"No. I only see him as a friend," she said quickly.

That wasn't true, but she didn't want the two of them to know that. She needed to be honest with herself and face reality. She had been attracted to Emmett since the first time she saw him on her first day of school. She couldn't explain it; something about him pulled her towards him. She liked Quil too which only made things even more confusing.

XXXX

Bella was going through her e-mail on Thursday when saw one from her mom. She opened it and was glad to know that things were going so well for her mom and Phil. Her mom had a way of explaining things that made her laugh. She finished reading the letter while thinking of what she should say back. She had always been honest and up front with her mom but she didn't want her mom to worry.

_Mom,_

_I was starting to think that you had forgotten about me, I hadn't heard from you in over a week. I'm glad that you were able to get a substitute teaching job down there. I was wondering if you were just going to be a baseball wife or if you were going to try to work. I'm also glad that you love it so much there. Things are alright I guess, I'm still adjusting to the fact that it rains so much. In all fairness I knew what I was getting myself into so I can't complain._

_I'm doing well in school. I got a ninety five on my last English test. I'm having trouble in math, but it's nothing that I can't handle. I just need to apply more effort. I've made a lot of friends. One in particular is really great. We're having some problems right now so we aren't talking but I'm sure that it can be worked out. He's nice, and he's funny, he hasn't made fun of the fact that I suck at sports._

_I have a date on Friday night. It's with the guy I told you about before. Jacob and Embry are good too. Jacob was surprised to find out that you remembered him and that you were asking about him. Did you get the pictures I sent you? He's a big guy, isn't he? Billy wanted me to tell you hi. That's all that's been happening with me. _

_Talk to you soon,_

_Bella_

She pressed send before shutting down the internet. She was still adjusting to the dial up connection so she stared darkly at the computer when she realized that she had over a dozen pop-ups to close before she could shut down the computer completely.

A few minutes later she was downstairs making herself a sandwich when her cell phone rang. She grabbed it from off the counter and unplugged it from its charger. She looked at the caller ID before opening it. It was a number that she didn't recognize.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey Bella," A voice that she would never forget said.

"Hey Emmett," she said in a surprised tone.

"I got your number from Alice, I hope that's okay."

"That's fine," she said quickly.

"I know that I haven't been fair to you lately. I feel horrible about it and it's time that I apologized."

"So we're friends again?"

"We never stopped being friends. I just thought that it would be better if there was some distance between us."

"How did that work out for you?"

"It was excruciating," he said with a sigh.

Bella laughed lightly. This was the Emmett that she was used to. He had a dark sense of humor that matched hers perfectly.

"Well it's good to know that you've realized the error of your ways," she said teasingly.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Of course; just don't do it again," she said earnestly.

"Never," he promised.

They talked for a few more minutes until her dad came home. Emmett said that he had to go but that he would see her tomorrow at school. She didn't know what had changed, but she wasn't going to question it.

XXXX

Bella pulled into the school parking lot a little earlier than normal. She planned on finishing her homework that she had put off the night before in favor of hanging out with Jacob. Billy and Jacob had been at the house until almost ten thirty last night watching the basketball game. She was working through a math problem when someone opened the passenger door and slid in. She looked over in surprise but her look softened once she saw Emmett looking at her from underneath his lashes. She hadn't expected for things to go back to the way they were so quickly.

"Hey," he said with a wide grin.

"Hey," she said laughing softly.

"What are you working on?" he asked pulling the textbook away from her.

"I didn't get a chance to work on it last night. I had company over."

"Quil?" he asked looking over what she had already done.

"No, a friend of my Dad's and his son; Jacob's close to my age, so we've become friends."

"Alice can loan you her homework so that you can copy it if you want."

"I'd rather do it myself. Math isn't my strong point and I won't learn anything if I copy someone else's work."

"Then you should get a tutor."

"I'm not that far behind," she said reaching for the textbook and worksheet.

He froze when her hand brushed his arm. She felt an electrical charge and her eyes widened in surprise before reluctantly pulling her hand from his. His skin was ice cold and hard like marble. She had never touched him before, but she hadn't been expecting that kind of reaction. He set the book on the seat in between them before opening the door.

"I'll see you later," he said climbing out of the cab.

"Uh huh," she said weakly.

He closed the door as quietly as possible but the noise still rung in her ears. She gathered her things before opening her door. She would head straight to class and finish it there before school started. She had a good twenty minutes, she was confident that she could get it done.

Emmett sat on the hood of Edward's car with his head in his hands. The look of shock when Bella had touched him was burned into his head. He had been so careful to not let it happen that in one moment of weakness it had happened too fast for him to stop her. Edward stood next to him leaning against the bumper.

"You let your guard down for a fraction of a second and look what happened," he admonished.

"It isn't the colossal catastrophe that you're making it out to be. You are such a Drama Queen," Emmett muttered.

"Did you ever think that maybe you don't worry enough? You're too casual about what's going on."

"I don't worry because I know that you'll worry enough for the both of us," Emmett said giving Edward an even look.

"Did what happened affect you at all?" Edward asked, ignoring the look.

"No. I felt an electrical charge which she obviously felt too."

"Her reaction was more than likely due to the fact that your skin is cold and hard as rock."

"It was more than that," he said shaking his head.

"What do you think it was?"

"It proves that she feels something too. I have a chance."

"Until she finds out what you are."

"Alice has seen it, but I don't want her telling me. She hasn't shown you anything?"

"People change their minds all the time. You know how fickle humans can be."

"Bella isn't like that."

"What about the fact that you thirst for her blood?"

"I want to test how far I can take things."

"That isn't safe."

"I'm going to talk to Carlisle about it."

"You are so stubborn," Edward muttered before walking away.

Emmett smiled to himself when he thought of Edwards's choice of words. He had talked about Bella like she would choose to be with him. He would try his hardest to keep her from learning what he was until he had a chance to talk to Carlisle. It was time for Carlisle to meet her and for him to get a chance to get to know her. Knowing that she would one day be like him put his mind at ease. He didn't like the idea of her being like him, but if that was the only way that they could be together then so be it.


	5. Suspicious Minds

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Friday couldn't come fast enough. Bella nervously tapped her pen against her desk as her health teacher explained that next week would be dedicated to sexual education. Most of the guys cheered while Bella rolled her eyes in aggravation. Hopefully the lecture wouldn't be too painful. With five minutes left in class the teacher drew class to a close. Everyone started talking at once while Bella doodled in her notebook.

A shadow was cast over her making her look up. Emmett stood over her looking down at what she was drawing. She gestured to the empty seat in front of her. In the last few days things had been good between them. Almost back to the way they had been when they had first met.

"What do you have planned this weekend?" she asked.

"I'm going out with my brothers tonight. Other than that I don't have any plans. What about you?"

"I'm going out with Quil tonight. I haven't seen or talked to him in over two weeks."

He nodded with a tight lipped smile. She wasn't about to tell him that she had seen Quil a few days ago. It wasn't any of his business. The bell rang drawing the conversation to a close. She gathered her things while he walked back to his desk at the front of the room. He was waiting for her at the door.

They walked down the hall together, he was close enough that she could feel the coldness radiating off of him. It was something that she had been meaning to ask him about, along with the hardness of his skin.

Alice and Jasper met them at her locker. Alice stood a few feet away from Bella, but not so close that she raised any alarms.

"Are you ready to go Emmett? Rose and Edward are already outside."

Emmett looked at her out of the corner of his eye giving her a hard look over Bella's shoulder. Bella shut her locker to turn towards them.

"I didn't mean to keep him. We were just talking about our plans for the weekend," Bella said with a feeble smile.

"They don't mind. I'll see you Monday," Emmett said as his eyes met hers.

He gave her a lopsided smile as Jasper pulled him away. He walked backwards until they were at the doors. Bella smiled back feebly once she had regained her train of thought. Why did she always come undone when he looked at her like that? She had never let a guy affect her in any way and now she was fawning over Emmett. She shook her head to clear her thoughts before walking down the hallway.

She had three hours until she saw Quil. She wanted to have the house cleaned and the laundry done because she knew that Jacob and Billy were coming over in the morning. She had been putting it off for two days.

Someone knocked on the door as she was changing the laundry over. She shut the dryer door with her foot as she struggled to carry the heavy basket of clothes through the kitchen.

"It's open!" she called as she passed the front door.

The door opened as she set the basket on the couch. Alice came to stand in the archway seconds later.

"You had your hands full?" she asked gesturing to the basket.

"I haven't washed clothes in almost a week," Bella said shyly.

"They do pile up quickly."

"Did you need something?"

"Not really. With the boys out for the night I was looking for something to do."

"You can stay here for a while. I'm going out tonight too."

"You have a date with Quil?"

"Yes."

"I can help you get ready."

"That isn't necessary. I'm just changing my shirt."

"What are you guys doing?"

"I don't know yet. We might go bowling. His friends usually do that on Friday night."

"What is bowling?" she asked with a confused expression.

"You throw a ball at a bunch of pins to try and knock them down. It's actually really fun...When I can hold onto the ball," Bella said laughing shyly.

"I've never played," Alice said quietly as she shook her head.

Bella went back to folding the towel that she was holding while Alice sat in the recliner.

"You and Emmett seem to be getting along again."

"We are," Bella said with a nod.

"He's nicer when he is able to talk to you."

"What do you mean?"

"He was different when he wasn't talking to you. He closed himself off from everyone when we were at home. He didn't say much at school either. He isn't normally like that. Edward, Carlisle, Esme, and I were very worried about him."

"Who are Carlisle and Esme?"

"They are our adoptive parents."

"Well I'm glad that Emmett is doing better and that I could help."

"He is very fond of you," Alice said with a smile.

"I kind of got that impression when he singled me out from nearly a hundred other girls," Bella mumbled.

"You're all he thinks about."

"I am?" Bella asked, pausing from hanging Charlie's work shirt on a hanger.

"It's very sweet."

"Should you be telling me this? Won't he get mad?"

"Someone has to get the ball rolling. He's a guy Bella; he doesn't know what to do," Alice said rolling her eyes dramatically.

"I guess you're right."

"You should call him if you don't have plans tomorrow."

"I have a friend coming over, but they should be gone by late afternoon. I'll call Emmett when I get home tonight, unless you think I should wait until in the morning so that I don't interrupt his guy's night."

"Calling him tonight should be okay."

Bella went back to folding laundry mulling over what Alice had said. Emmett liked her more than she thought he did. She liked him too in her own way. She didn't know much about him other than that he was nice, he was the oldest of the Cullen children, and that every guy they went to school with was scared of him. She didn't see why, once she got over how tall he was and all of his muscles he wasn't that scary. Maybe she should try to get to know him better and see where that led. Things between her and Quil weren't serious, so she wouldn't be hurting him by hanging out with Emmett.

XXXX

Quil was the only one home when Bella showed up at his house at six thirty. Alice had insisted on letting Bella borrow one of her tops. It was a little too nice to go bowling in so she had flat out refused opting for a white V-neck t-shirt. Her hair was pulled into a pony tail which Quil quickly pulled down explaining that her hair looked better down. She smiled shyly as she tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Hey," she said quietly.

He pulled her into his arms without responding, crushing her to him.

"I missed you too," she said laughing nervously.

He pulled back just enough to look down at her. When she tilted her head back to look at him his face was inches from hers. He closed the gap brushing his lips against hers. His hands rested on her hips while she wrapped hers around his waist. He pulled away with a sigh before resting his chin on the top of her head.

She pulled away after a few minutes to look up at him again.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm just glad to see you," he said with a small smile.

Bella smiled back before he pulled away from her. He pulled her down the stairs to her truck. He opened the door for her and leaned in once she was in the cab. He kissed her again, letting it linger for a few seconds before pulling away. She watched him in concern as he walked around the front of the truck.

The five minute drive to the bowling alley was filled mostly with silence except for when Quil gave her directions. While he did hold her hand, he sat as close to the passenger door as he could. There was at least three feet of space in between them. Bella looked at him from out of the corner of her eye as she waited for someone to pull out of a parking space that she wanted at the bowling alley. He wasn't as tense as he had been when he had gotten in the truck but his body language let her know that something was up.

Once they were out of the truck he took her hand loosely in his again to lead her through the parking lot. The parking lot was almost full and from what she could see it was a spot for local teenagers. Most Friday nights in Phoenix were spent at the movies and then the arcade that was across the street from the movie theater. She hadn't bowled in almost a year because most of her friends knew that she had a problem with keeping her grip on the ball. It usually went flying out of her hand on the draw back at least once every time she went.

She saw Jacob and Embry at the other end of alley and she had never been so glad to see either of them than she was right then. Jacob grinned before waving both arms over his head.

"What shoe size are you?" Quil asked.

"Seven."

"You can go ahead down if you want."

"Okay," she said pulling her hand from his.

Jacob moved over to let her sit in between him and Embry when she made it to them. She turned to look at him and he was still smiling.

"Hey," he said happily.

"Hey Jake," she said with a laugh.

"How was the happy reunion?"

"It was a reunion. He's not acting like himself," she said loud enough for only Jacob to hear.

Jacob looked over his shoulder, searching the front counter until he found Quil. She was right; everything about Quil screamed that something wasn't right. His eyes searched the crowd of people sitting with Jacob until he found the person he was looking for. Jacob's gaze moved to the person Quil was watching. At the other end of the row of seats Eliska Eastman sat by herself. Jacob knew that Quil had a crush on her for a while but he figured that he was over it by now.

"I'll be right back," he said standing.

He met Quil at the top of the stairs leading to the floor where everyone else was. He gave him an even look before folding his arms over his chest.

"So, Eliska's single again."

"I hadn't heard that," Quil said sounding indifferent.

"Bullshit. What's going on?"

"Nothing," Quil answered shrugging his shoulders.

"Bella knows something is up. If you still like Eliska than you need to let Bella know before you hurt her."

Quil nodded with a sigh before Jacob moved to let him pass. He took Jacob's seat handing Bella her rental shoes. She smiled her thanks as she put them on. He smiled back, his features more relaxed now.

"I'm sorry for making you worry earlier," he said over the noise.

"It's cool. Is everything okay now?"

"Everything's fine," he said with a reassuring smile.

Bella smiled back as Jacob sat at the computer board.

"Who wants to go first?" he asked

"I'll go first," Embry said.

"You can go second," Quil said to Jacob.

"I don't mind going last," Bella said.

Jacob put their names in while everyone else went to find a ball. Bella stared at the rack of balls in scrutiny. Quil came to stand behind her and placed a hand on her hip.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm debating on what size I should get. I have trouble holding on to it if it's too small but if it's too big I won't be able to lift it."

"Are you one of those crazy people who lets go of the ball and it goes flying towards everyone else?" he asked digging his fingers into her side.

"Yes," she said with a laugh as she squirmed beneath his touch.

"Try this one," he said handing her a nine pound ball.

She held it in her hand before slipping her fingers in the holes. She pulled her arm back to test it. She nodded before he took her other hand and they walked back to their friends. Even if Jacob and Embry were there she was glad to be able to spend time with him. When they got back there were three other people sitting with them. The two boys looked like they could be related but the girl looked like she felt out of place with the group of boys. Bella sat next to her once she had put her ball on the conveyor belt.

"Did you bring a date Jake?" the shorter guy asked.

"No, she's my date." Quil said.

"You snagged a girl like that? Dang man," the shorter guy said.

"Bella this is Jared and Paul Miller. The girl next to you is Paul's girlfriend, Abby," Jacob said with a laugh.

"Are you two brothers?" she asked.

"We're cousins. We get that a lot," Paul said.

"Hi," Abby said quietly.

"Hey," Bella said with a smile.

Her cell phone vibrated just as it was her turn and she decided to wait until after she had gone to check it. She took a calming breath as she centered her body with the pins at the end of the lane before pulling her arm back slowly. She followed through and let the ball glide from her hand and watched as it rolled down the lane. She smiled in victory when six of the pins fell down. Two pins remained on each side. It was what Phil would have called a six/ten split. He had taught her how to execute the move and she angled the ball that way she wanted it before taking her stance again. Twenty seconds later all four pins were knocked over.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Embry asked.

"My step dad taught me. It's not that hard, you just have to angle the ball the right way," she said with a shrug.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket before sitting down again. She scrolled through her texts to find the one that she had just gotten. It was from Emmett.

Do you want to do something tomorrow?

She shut her phone, her eyebrows knitted together. Did she want to do something with him tomorrow? He had never reached out and asked her if she wanted to do something before. She had only talked to him outside of school the one time that he had called to apologize. Could she handle hanging out with him now that she knew how he felt about her? All of her reserve about calling him earlier was gone. Now she was scared to answer him back.

Quil brushed his fingers over the back of her hand pulling her from her thoughts. She looked over at him, the looked of confusion still on her face.

"If you keep doing that your face is going to stay like that. I wouldn't care because you'd still be pretty, but people would stare."

She laughed breathlessly before shaking her head.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked.

"A friend from school wanted to me to do something with them tomorrow. I'm just debating what I should tell them."

"Do you not like the person?"

"I wouldn't be friends with him if I didn't like him. That's not the problem. The problem is that he's never asked me to do anything outside of school."

"Do I have competition?" he asked jokingly.

"No," she said rolling her eyes.

"Then you should do something with him."

"I guess I can invite him over to the house. Jake and Billy will be there, maybe he won't mind if it's a group thing," she said shrugging her shoulders.

"Good idea, that way Jake can report back to me."

"You have nothing to worry about."

He draped an arm over her shoulders and she leaned against him. He kissed her temple before she moved away from him so that he could take his turn. She opened her phone to text Emmett back while she waited for her turn.

We can do something tomorrow if you want. I'll call you later to work out the details.

She put the last few minutes to the back of her mind not wanting to take away from her time with Quil.

At ten thirty that night the four friends were waiting outside for Billy to pick Jacob and Embry up. Paul, Jared, and Abby were long gone. Paul had been interesting to hang out with. He had a comment for every time that Jared went up to bowl. The cousins had talked so much trash that Bella sides hurt from laughing so much.

Billy showed up five minutes later and he waved to Bella and Quil before pulling away. Bella took Quil's hand in hers as they walked through the parking lot.

"So this guy that you're hanging out with tomorrow, does he have a name?"

"You're jealous?"

"No," he said with a scoff.

"Uh huh," she said with a teasing laugh.

"I'm just curious," he said squeezing her hand.

"It's Emmett."

"You two are friends again? Good. I thought that I was going to have to attempt to take him down."

Bella threw her head back in laughter as they came to stand by her truck. He cupped her neck to pull her head back to his before leaning down. His lips were urgent over hers, almost pleading. She put a hand on his shoulder to steady herself. His tongue passed her lips taking her breath away. His tongue caressed hers gently as she tried to regain her composure.

His hand that was around her neck fisted in her hair as the kissed grew more intense. She fell against him giving in. His free arm wound around her waist to keep her from falling. His hand moved from her hair to her neck, his fingers brushing over her skin in a gentle touch. Her breath hitched once more before she finally pulled away.

"Do me a favor," he said quietly.

"What?"

"Try not to forget about me tomorrow."

"I promise that I will not let anything happen tomorrow. We're just friends."

"I didn't get that when I met him."

"He's just protective."

"I wasn't talking about him. I saw how you reacted to him."

"Every girl at my school reacts to him and his brother that way."

Quil shook his head before pulling away from her. She put a hand on his arm to stop him from walking away.

"I wouldn't lead you on. I respect you more than that."

He nodded before pulling away from her. She sighed as she opened her door. He was silent the whole way to his house. Bella put a hand on his before he could reach for the door handle. He looked at her from underneath his lashes.

"You have nothing to worry about. I'll call you tomorrow."

He nodded, giving her a feeble smile. She squeezed his hand before leaning across the seat. She brushed her lips to his lightly before pulling away. He pulled his hand from hers then silently opened his door. She waited until he was inside before pulling out of the driveway. She was going to have a long talk with Emmett when she got home. They were going to set some boundaries because she didn't like the way that Quil had reacted. She hadn't realized that he had noticed her reaction to Emmett the night at the movies. She had tried to hide it, now she would have to be more careful.

XXXX

Emmett's phone rang at a little after one thirty that night. He looked at it in scrutiny when he saw Bella's name flashed across the screen. What was she still doing up? He had told himself that he was going to wait until the morning to call her and cancel because he thought that she had just told him yes to be nice.

"Hello?" he asked after answering on the third ring.

"I was about to hang up. You were sleeping weren't you?"

"No," he said with a light laugh.

"Sorry for waiting so long to get back with you. I had to wait until I knew for sure that my dad was asleep. He went out with friends tonight and didn't get in until an hour ago."

"He doesn't like you on the phone late at night?"

"What parent likes their child to be on the phone all hours of the night?" she asked with a laugh.

"Mine don't mind as long I don't wake up everyone else."

"Trust me, Charlie minds."

"Then I won't keep you on the phone long."

"Do you want to come over here? I have a friend from La Push coming up and I thought that maybe we could make it a group thing."

"You have friends from La Push?"

"Yeah, Quil is one of them. Is that problem?"

"No, it's not a problem. I was just wondering how you had met them."

"My dad went to school in La Push before the boundary lines for the Forks school system was redone. Two of his closest friends are Quileute."

"Oh. So you've become friends with them?"

"They're good people. Billy thinks of me as one of his own kids. He's my dad's best friend, and his son is the one who is coming over tomorrow."

"I wouldn't be able to come over until tomorrow night."

"I don't know how that's going to work. My dad isn't too crazy about me having boys over when he isn't here. I could ask and get back to you."

"That's fine. If he isn't okay with it, would it be okay if I came over on Sunday?"

"It's the only day he has off."

"Than I'll come over then if he says I can't tomorrow night."

They talked for a few more minutes until she heard Charlie up and moving around. She was able to get re-situated underneath the covers before he got to the door. Luckily she had thought to shove her phone underneath her pillow so that the glowing of her phone when she had shut it wouldn't give her away. Charlie stood at her open door for half a minute before shuffling back down the hall.

"I must be losing it," he said before going back into his room.

Bella was thinking the same thing as she tried to drift off to sleep. She hadn't expected Emmett to try to get out of coming over. Had he asked her out for tomorrow because he wanted to go out on a date with her? Is that why he had acted put out? She was used to him being so nice and friendly that she hadn't thought that he would have qualms about hanging out with Jacob. Something wasn't right, but what was it?

XXXX

Bella and Jacob were upstairs in her room listening to music when someone knocked on the door downstairs the next day. Charlie could be heard walking around downstairs and soon his voice carried up the stairs along with a voice Bella didn't recognize.

"Hey, Bells?" Charlie called up the stairs.

"Yes Sir?"

"Can you come down here for a minute?"

Bella saw the man at the door when she was halfway down the stairs. His white blond hair was what got her attention first but that was not his most distinctive feature. His face was heartbreakingly gorgeous. She immediately thought of Emmett and his brothers and sisters when she was able to look away.

Billy sat ramrod straight in his chair as far into the living room that his chair would allow. As it was he was backed up against the entertainment center and he still looked like he felt that he was too close. His eyebrows were knitted together with worry and his jaw was firmly locked.

Bella came to stand next to her dad after throwing Billy a worrisome look. The man at the door smiled kindly at Bella with a nod. She smiled back nervously before looking at her dad.

"This is Doctor Cullen. He says that you've gotten to know his kids."

"Alice and Edward were some of the first kids to reach out to me on my first day. I have several classes with them."

"It has come to my attention that you've become very close with Emmett," Carlisle said in a smooth voice.

"Is that a problem? If it is I won't talk to him anymore."

"It's not a problem. He told me about your father not letting you have boys over when he isn't here and I came to plead his case."

"I know that it hasn't been that long since you were a teenage boy Doc, you know how their minds work. I've got one upstairs in her room and he's the only one I would trust being alone with her."

"I can assure you that Emmett is a very well behaved young man. I have never had a problem with him."

Charlie looked at Bella with questioning eyes. She gave him a pleading look, begging him with her eyes to say yes.

"If he can be here before three this afternoon so I can meet him I guess he can stay for a few hours," he said, his eyes meeting the doctors.

"I'll let him know. It was a pleasure meeting you Bella. Alice and Emmett have told me a lot about you," Carlisle said with a smile.

Charlie shut the door once Carlisle made it to the bottom of the stairs. He looked down at Bella giving her an even look.

"I didn't know that his dad was going to come over. I had planned on talking to you about him today."

"He's one of the ones that I haven't met yet."

"He's very nice. I wouldn't be friends with him if he wasn't."

"Do you really think letting a boy come over when you aren't here is a good idea Charlie?" Billy asked pushing himself into the hall.

"If I don't like him, he's gone; the least I can do is meet the kid."

"It's just that you've never let her have boys over before, why change the rule now?"

"She wasn't seventeen then Billy. Like I said; if I don't like him he isn't staying."

Billy shook his head solemnly before letting Charlie turn him around so that he could go back into the living room. Bella walked back up the stairs wondering why Billy had acted so out of character. He let Jacob do whatever he wanted within reason. She knew for a fact that Jacob was allowed to have girls over when Billy wasn't there and Jacob had told her that his sisters had been allowed to have boys over. What was his problem?

XXXX

At two thirty that afternoon Charlie was upstairs getting ready for work when someone knocked on the front door. Bella was straightening up the kitchen so Jacob answered the door. She heard Emmett's voice from the porch as she tossed the washrag that she was using into the sink. Billy was backed against the entertainment center again as Jacob let Emmett in. Jacob was a little leery of Emmett but at least he wasn't acting like his dad. Bella leaned against the archway of the kitchen while Emmett took of his jacket. If the Blacks reaction bothered him, he didn't show it.

"Jake, this is Emmett. Emmett this is my best friend Jake," she said trying to break the tension.

"Hey," Emmett said with a broad smile.

"Hey," Jacob said as his eyebrows in concern.

"He's not going to attack you Jake," Bella said with a laugh.

"We should go," Billy said from the recesses of the living room.

"I thought we were going to stay for dinner," Jacob said looking crestfallen.

"We have somewhere that we need to be."

"The tribal meeting doesn't start for another four hours," Jacob said giving his father a weird look.

"You don't have to leave," Bella said as Billy pushed himself through the living room.

"It's getting late," Billy said as Jacob handed him his jacket.

"It's only two thirty," Bella said in confusion.

"Remind your dad that the game starts at six on Wednesday. It's your turn to come down."

"It was nice meeting you Jake," Emmett said politely.

"Yeah, you too," Jacob said as he opened the door.

"Do you need help getting him to the truck? The steps and walkway are icy," Emmett asked.

"No, that's okay," Billy said curtly.

"Actually that would be great. Thanks," Jacob added quickly.

Charlie came down to see Bella on the porch watching Emmett and Jacob carry Billy's chair down the walkway.

"That's Emmett?"

"Yes Sir."

"He's a big guy," Charlie observed.

"Don't let his size fool you Dad. He's harmless."

Jacob helped Billy into the truck while Emmett broke down his chair and put it in the bed of the truck. Jacob waved to Emmett before getting in the truck. Emmett waved over his shoulder as he walked back up the walkway. His hands were shoved into his jeans and his head was cast down to ward off the rain. He ran a hand through his hair to get the rain out of it before coming into the house.

"Emmett, this is my dad Charlie. Dad, this is Emmett Cullen."

"It's nice to meet you Chief Swan."

"Call me Charlie. Tell me about yourself Emmett, I didn't hear about you until this morning when your dad came over."

"I'm eighteen and I'm a senior this year, I'm also the oldest of my adoptive siblings."

"Do you plan on going to college next year?"

"No Sir, I'm joining the Peace Corps."

"That's impressive. What made you decide to do that?"

"I want to make a difference in the world. The best way to do that is by taking action. I've never been the kind of person to just say that they want something to change, I make it happen."

"That's good. I like a person who isn't afraid to go after what he wants," Charlie said with a nod.

Emmett followed them into the living room and sat at the opposite end of the couch from Bella.

"Can I ask you something personal Emmett?"

"Of course," Emmett said with a charismatic smile.

"Are you sexually active?"

"Emmett you don't have to answer that," Bella said giving her dad an admonishing look.

"If I am going to let him stay here alone with you I need to make sure that you aren't going to end up pregnant."

"Oh my God," Bella groaned under her breath.

"Yes Sir, I am. But Bella and I aren't dating."

"There isn't an Emmett Jr. somewhere in the world is there?"

Bella hid her face in her hands as she shook her head. She couldn't believe that her dad was giving Emmett the third degree about his sexual history. If she had known that he was going to do that she wouldn't have agreed to let him meet Emmett.

"No, there isn't. I'm always careful."

"How many girls have there been?"

"Three. And I can get tested for STI's if you'd like."

"You've always used protection?"

"Yes sir."

"The STI test won't be necessary then."

Charlie stood a few seconds later and Bella looked over her shoulder to see him putting on his belt. His gun was pulled out of the drawer of the table in the hall before he pulled on his jacket.

"It was good talking to you Emmett. I'll see you in the morning Bella."

"It was nice meeting you Sir."

"Bye Dad."

Once the front door shut Bella shook her head with a sigh.

"I am so sorry. I swear that I did not know that he was going to do that."

"It's okay. He did what every dad would do if a new guy came into the picture."

"So I am the only one who was completely traumatized?"

"Don't worry about it. It wasn't that bad," he said nudging her with his elbow.

The coolness of his skin was made known again when he didn't move his arm away from her. She turned her head to look at him slowly to see him watching her with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Fine," he said with an easy smile.

"You don't look it," she said with a nervous laugh.

"This is awkward, isn't it?"

"A little, only because you're not freaked out," she said giving him a teasing smile.

He took a slow breath before running a hand through his hair. Her phone rang upstairs breaking the silence. She took the stairs two at a time then sprinted down the hall to her room. She was breathless by the time she grabbed her phone from off of her nightstand.

"Hello?" she asked.

"Hey," Quil said.

"Hey," she said still trying to catch her breath.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. I just had to run up the stairs to grab my phone. I forgot to grab it when I came down earlier."

"Are you alone?"

"No. Emmett is here."

"He's still there? I saw Jake pull up a few minutes ago."

"He got here just before Jake left."

"I thought that he was going to hang out with you and Jake," Quil said with a sigh.

"He had plans. Do I need to remind you that you have nothing to worry about?"

"No," he said quietly.

"I can come down tomorrow if you want."

"That would be nice," he said indifferently.

"I'll see you tomorrow then."

"I should go."

"Call me later?"

"Sure."

Bella came to the top of the stairs and her foot slipped off the first stair and she lurched forward. Before she could gasp at the idea of falling Emmett was at the bottom of the stairs taking them two at time at warp speed. She collided with him full force, knocking what wind was left out of her. Her whole body was pressed to him now, his ice cold skin penetrating through her clothes. His arms were wrapped around her in a vice grip when she pulled away enough to look at him with wide eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concern and worry etched across his face.

"I might have some bruises from where I slammed into you and I'm cold, other than that I'm fine."

"Sorry," he said letting go of her.

He stepped down a few steps quickly and she almost lost her balance. She reached out for the railing just as she lurched forward.

"I knew you were solid but I didn't think you were built like a boulder. Jeez," she said running a shaky hand through her hair.

"Close, most people say that it feels like marble," he said with a tight lipped smile.

"I didn't say that to be mean. I just wasn't expecting it. Thank you for catching me."

"You're welcome."

"How did you get up here so fast? I should have been at the bottom of the stairs unconscious before you got to the bottom of the stairs."

"I have fast reflexes," he said with a small smile.

"Lightning fast," Bella said shaking her head in wonder.

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you need to sit down?" he said putting a hand on her arm.

"I think that might be a good idea. Everything still feels like it's spinning," she said.

She didn't want to tell him that his touch had brought on the dizziness. She was still adjusting to the fact that he was the only guy who had ever gotten under her skin. No one made her more flustered than he did. She didn't understand it, but she knew that she had some strange effect on him too. That made everything easier to handle.

He led her down the stairs once he had fitted his hands in hers. He was uncharacteristically quiet as he sat down on the couch next to her.

"I make you uncomfortable don't I?" she asked.

"What gave you that idea?" he asked arching an eyebrow.

"Alice told me. You don't have to lie."

"What all did she tell you?" he asked quietly.

"That you like me; I'm flattered even though I don't understand what you see in me."

"She has a big mouth," he said in an acid tone.

"Do you not like me like that?" she asked.

"I imagined this going so much better," he said clenching his eyes shut as he threw himself against the back of the couch.

"Easy Emmett, we only have one couch," she said nervously.

"Sorry," he said with a sigh.

"It's okay."

"When did she tell you?"

"Yesterday," she answered honestly.

"No wonder she's been hiding in her room ever since I got home last night," he muttered.

"You're really mad?"

"I would have liked to have been the one to tell you. That can't be undone now."

"I guess not."

"I've been raised to not go after someone else's girl. Liking you goes against everything I was taught."

"Quil and I aren't serious. We've only gone out on two dates and hung out a handful of times."

"Do you have feelings for him? Does he have feelings for you?" he asked harshly.

"I like him, but I wouldn't say that I loved him. I want to say that he doesn't love me either."

"If you only knew," he muttered low enough that she wouldn't hear.

"What?" she asked with a confused look.

"Nothing," he said with another sigh.

"I honestly don't know what to think. You're a nice guy, but I don't think I'm worthy of your affections."

"Don't I have a say in that?"

"Yes."

"Well here's what I say. I already have feelings for you. I am not supposed to like you."

"You're not?"

"It's too complicated to explain right now. I should go. I've said too much already," he said standing to leave.

"You don't have to leave."

"I promised Edward that I would help him with something anyway," he said walking to the door.

Bella followed him to the door and he paused once he had opened it. He turned towards her with pleading eyes.

"Do me a favor. Please consider what I've said."

"You pretty much told me that you like me, even though you shouldn't. What am I supposed to consider?"

"If you still want to be friends with me Bella, I would understand if you didn't," he said before walking onto the porch.

She watched him get into his Jeep and it rumbled to life before she shut the door. She walked through the house turning out each light before heading upstairs to her room. She was in a daze as she changed for the night. She looked at her alarm clock as she got into bed. It was only four thirty. She wasn't planning on getting much sleep that night anyway so what did it matter what time she turned in for the night?

Thoughts of Quil swirled through her head as she lay back against the pillows. His face slowly morphed and his hair shortened so that it was Emmett that filled her thoughts. She was hurting them both without even really trying. What was she supposed to do? Break things off with Quil and tell Emmett that she wasn't interested? The only way that would work was if she left Forks. She shot down the idea as soon as she thought of it.

She would have to make a decision and stick with it. She had never thought of herself as the type of person to string two people along. One of them was going to get hurt and she had a feeling which one it was. She would have to let him down easy, and soon.


	6. A Nudge In The Right Direction

**Disclaimer I do not own Twilight. I just wish I did.**

**AN: I just realized that I have not thanked all of you for the wonderful feedback that you guys have been sending me. I am so sorry. I do appreciate all of you. You guys make writing worthwhile and I don't tell you guys that enough.**

Bella woke up wired and ready to face the decision that she had made the night before. The first thing she needed to do was break the news to Quil. She hoped that he wouldn't be too upset. She honestly did want to stay friends with him. He was a great guy and any girl would be lucky to have him. Once she called Quil she would call Emmett and tell him what she had decided. She hoped that she wasn't making a bad decision by letting him in.

She grabbed her phone from off of her nightstand and dialed Quil's number while she looked for something to wear that day. His voice mail came on after the third ring.

"Hey, it's me. Call me when you get a chance. It's important," she said before hanging up.

She sighed as she turned off her phone then turned it on again. She dialed Emmett's number as she pulled off her pajama pants then pulled on a pair of jeans.

"Hello?" Emmett said picking up on the first ring.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"I've been doing some thinking about what happened last night. I haven't been fair to you."

"You haven't?"

"I've been interrogating you and yet I haven't told you anything about myself."

"You have been keeping things from me," he said with a sigh.

"I wanted to apologize for that."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Eat lunch with me tomorrow and you'll find out."

"Won't your family disapprove of that?"

"We don't have to sit with them."

"Okay," she said quietly.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Do you have to go?"

"Carlisle makes us go to church every Sunday."

"He makes you go?"

"It's mandatory."

"Then I'll let you go.

"No, please. I am dying to find an excuse not to go," he begged.

"If it's mandatory, won't you get in trouble if you don't go?"

"But you'd be worth it!" he said with a laugh.

Bella laughed shyly, wishing that he wasn't so open with his feelings. She hated that she didn't feel the way he did. Maybe given time she could, but she wasn't there yet. She hung up the phone a minute later hearing her dad downstairs.

Charlie was still downstairs when she came down five minutes later. He was hunched over the coffee pot as he poured himself a cup of coffee. She pulled a cup down from the pegs underneath the cabinet and waited her turn. He gave her a tired crooked smile before going to sit at the table.

"What do you have planned for today?"

"Not a lot. I was going to talk to Quil this morning, but I got his voice mail. I had planned on cleaning in here and the living room later, but I think I might hold off until tomorrow so that you can get some sleep. Maybe I'll go to Jake's this afternoon."

"I talked to Billy last night."

"What did the two of you talk about?"

"Emmett and his family mostly, Billy has a hard grudge against them. I wish I knew what had happened to make it happen."

"Were the Cullen's here when his wife died?"

"No. They came less than a year later."

"Well that takes Dr. Cullen being her doctor and Billy holding it over his head out of the equation."

"That's sounds like something out of one of those Soap Opera's your mom used to watch," he said with a scoff.

"She still watches them," Bella said with a light laugh.

"I'm gonna head up to bed. Can you wake me up before you leave if you go over to Jake's? I can't sleep all day. I've got to be at work in the morning."

"Sure."

"Thank you," he said coming to stand next to her.

He poured his coffee out and sat his cup in the sink before kissing her temple. She looked over her shoulder to watch him walk out of the room. She washed his cup then washed hers once she was done with it. Her cell phone rang and she pulled it from her back pocket. Jacob's phone number lit up on the screen before she opened it.

"Hey, Jake," she greeted.

"You never called me to tell me how things went last night."

"I knew I forgot something. I tried to call Quil a little while ago. I haven't heard back from him yet."

"He's probably scared that you're going to ditch him for Emmett," Jacob said in concern.

"I would never do that. I have decided not to go out with him again but I promise you that I will let him down easy."

"You like this guy?"

"I don't know how I feel about him yet, but it has come to my attention that he has feelings for me. It's not fair to be seeing someone else when I see him every day at school. It will only end up hurting him."

"What about Quil?"

"I still want to be friends with him. I don't want you to be put in the middle; I'm going to tell him that when I talk to him but I want to let you know that I can't do that to you."

"I'm kind of in the middle of it already."

"How?" she questioned.

"You'll find out when you talk to Quil."

"You can't tell someone that and then expect them to just leave it at that. Tell me how you are in the middle of what's going on between me and Quil," she said calmly.

"He's liked this girl at our school for over a year. She broke up with her boyfriend last week."

"That's why he was acting weird on Friday?"

"That is not the kind of guy that he normally is, you know that. This girl has been the center of his world for a while and now that she's single she's been pushed to the front after nearly a month of being in the back of his mind."

"When did you find out?"

"After you pointed it out on Friday, I figured that he would tell you himself. Bells, I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. I'm not mad, I'm concerned that he hasn't told me about what's going on but I'll handle it."

"What happened with Emmett?"

"He confirmed that he had feelings for me. Then he told me that he was happy just being friends with me. Something isn't right though; there's something that he's keeping from me, I can feel it."

"What makes you think that he's keeping something from you?"

"He was acting weird after my dad left. He nudged me with his elbow just playing around and then he got this look on his face like he had just done something that he could get in trouble for."

"Did you let on that you were bothered by him touching you?"

"No, there's more. His skin is cold, like glacier cold."

"Maybe he's cold blooded."

"Would you let me finish?"

"There's more?"

"I haven't told you the really strange thing that happened yet. I tripped on the stairs; before what was happening could even register he was at the bottom of the stairs. I slammed into him because I hadn't even fallen yet. I should have been at the bottom of the stairs with my neck broken or possibly dead before he got to me. He's hard as a rock. Which reminds me, I need to check myself for bruises, I haven't done that yet."

"That's not good," Jacob mumbled.

"What?"

"My dad was talking to Quil's granddad last night and I overheard them. They were talking about the Cullen's. It's not anything I haven't heard before, but I didn't realize that the Cullen's were a part of it until it was brought up last night."

"What did you hear?"

"It's just a myth Bells, it's probably not even true."

"There you go again, bringing something and telling me to drop it seconds later."

"There's a story in my tribe that's been passed down for the last three hundred years. Supposedly we descend from wolves. It's not true, so that's why I didn't want to tell you. I didn't want to scare you."

"What do the Cullen's have to do with it?"

"My tribe calls there kind The Cold Ones. We've been feuding with them for almost half a century."

"The Cold Ones?" she questioned.

"My dad says that they aren't human and that if you're smart you'll stay away from them. He says that he has ways of protecting you if you want."

"I haven't had a single problem with them but if anything changes tell him I'll take him up on his offer," she said laughing nervously.

"I'll let him know."

"What else do you know about the Cullen's?"

"Every adult in my tribe and some of the older teenagers are scared of them."

"I don't get it. Why is everyone so afraid of them? My dad says that their model citizens of the county. I read an article the other day about the dad and how he had donated money to have the children's ward at the hospital expanded."

"Like I said I don't know the whole story. Maybe you should ask Emmett."

"I guess I could give it a try."

"I've got to go. It looks like I may be in trouble. My dad is giving me his 'I don't approve of what you're doing' look."

"What did you do?"

"Maybe he heard me telling you about the Cullen's. We aren't supposed to talk about it with people outside of the tribe."

"I'll talk to you later."

"Okay."

She hung up the phone as her eyebrows knitted together in concern. She was now not only concerned about Quil, but Emmett. They were both keeping something from her. She was almost afraid to find out what Emmett was hiding. Could it be worse than Quil's having feelings for someone else? She hoped not.

XXXX

The truck came to a banging, clanging, lurching halt outside Quil's house making Quil Sr. pull back the curtain at the front window. Quil came down the stairs knowing who was outside before his granddad could tell him. He opened the front door as Bella stood at the bottom of the stairs. She put a hand on the railing, leaning against it as she stared up at him with unsure eyes.

"Have you been home all day?"

"I was scared of what you would say."

"So you were avoiding me all three times that I called?"

"I'm sorry," he said quietly.

"Can we talk?"

"Let me go grab my jacket," he said disappearing into the house.

Bella saw the truck from last week coming up the road and it pulled into the Quil's driveway. The driver was getting out of his truck as Quil was coming down the stairs. The guy stopped a few feet from where Bella stood as Quil froze a few steps from where she was. He was a good foot taller than Quil and looked like he could pull up a tree from the ground by its roots.

"Is your granddad here?" The guy asked.

"He's inside," Quil said before taking Bella's hand and pulling her away from the guy.

Bella looked over her shoulder before Quil pulled her around the side of the house. The guy was standing where they had left him watching her curiously. She gave him a small smile before shrugging her shoulders. He returned her smile with a nod before walking up the stairs.

"You know, you could have been a little nicer to him," Bella said as she tried to free herself from Quil's grasp.

"You don't know the kind of person he is. He isn't a friend of mine."

"Still, he didn't do anything wrong."

"What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Jacob told me about the girl from school."

"He shouldn't have done that," Quil said shaking his head.

"He was looking for me, if you liked someone else you should have told me."

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings. I honestly do like you."

"I like you too, but if the tables had been turned I would have been honest with you."

"Really; are you sure about that?" he accused.

"Yes," she said folding her arms over her chest.

"So you don't like Emmett?"

"I should have known that you would bring him up. I'm not sure how I feel about him. Apparently Jake knows more about him than I do and he only talked to him for five minutes." Bella said rolling her eyes before shaking her head.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'd rather not get into it. Can we still be friends?"

"Yeah," he said, nodding his head as he bit his lower lip.

"I should go. I told my dad that I would only be gone an hour."

"I'll see you around."

She turned to make her way around the house but stopped at the corner. She turned to look over her shoulder and Quil was standing where she had left him. She waved before continuing through the yard. The guy inside had parked behind her truck. She groaned before turning towards the stairs. The front door opened and the guy came into view once she was at the bottom of the stairs.

He walked down the stairs silently and Bella followed him through the yard. Inside her truck waiting for the guy to pull out she saw Embry making his way up the street. He was walking through the yard when she pulled out. She waved and he waved back with a smile, not turning his gaze towards the guy who was now walking through the yard behind him.

Jacob was walking down the street as she drove down the street. She put the brake on before rolling down her window. He rested his arms on the window sill after leaning down to her level. She smiled at him before patting his arm in greeting.

"Do you know who the guy following Embry is?"

"That's Sam Uley," he said with a sigh.

"Do you have something against him too?"

"He thinks he's better than everybody else."

"I doubt Quil Sr. would let him come around if he was that bad of a guy."

"He's not really a bad guy. It's just that he's like a leader of a cult and practically every adult on the Rez worships him, including my dad."

"Why would you think that's he a leader of a cult?"

"He has followers. Paul and Jared, do you remember them from the other night?"

"They seemed nice."

"We didn't invite them more than they invited themselves. We didn't want to tell them no and have it get back to our parents."

"Oh," she said laughing nervously.

"I should go, but I'll see you around."

"Tuesday night, right?" she asked with a smile.

"Tuesday night," he agreed with a smile.

He righted himself then pushed away from the truck before continuing down the street to Quil's. Bella put the truck back into drive and slowly continued down the road. It started raining before she made it off the reservation. She tried to brush the conversation that she'd had with Jacob to the back of her mind as she turned on the wipers. She had a sneaking suspicion that the Cullen's weren't the only ones with a secret, but she wasn't going to go accusing anyone of anything without getting the facts straight first.

XXXX

The Cullen's were just getting to school when Bella pulled into the parking lot at school the next morning. Alice made her way over to her as she got her things together. She was at the front of the truck when Bella opened her door.

"Good morning," Alice said with a bright smile.

"Good morning." Bella said with a kind smile.

"How was your weekend?

"It was alright."

"It was just alright? Emmett was pretty happy when he came home on Saturday."

"We had a nice time." Bella said with a nod.

"So what made your weekend just alright?"

"I broke things off with Quil."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Is it because of Emmett?"

"To be honest with you yes, it was. I didn't want to hurt Emmett. I also found out that he liked someone else."

"Well that sucks," Alice said with a light laugh.

"It was for the best."

The warning bell rang and the two of them made their way towards the main building. Jasper and Edward met them at the doors and the four of them walked to class in silence. Jasper continued down the hall to his class as Bella, Alice, and Edward walked into their math class together. Jessica gave Bella a wide eyed questioning look as she passed her. Bella shrugged her shoulders in reply deciding to act like nothing was amiss.

Bella caught Edward watching her several times during class. It was almost like he was trying to look right through her. She looked to the person on the other side of her to Tyler who was busy taking notes. She focused on what the teacher was saying once again before feeling Edward's prying eyes on her again. She looked at him out of the corner of her eye and he quickly looked away.

She sighed in relief when the bell rang a few minutes later. She was going to talk to him during Science about what was going on with him. In the hall Rosalie and Jasper were waiting for Alice and Edward. Bella looked each way in confusion before Edward laughed.

"He wants to wait until lunch to see you."

"Why?"

"He says that he likes making you squirm," he said with a teasing smile.

"He does get a sick, sadistic kick out of that," she mumbled.

"Don't worry. Everything is going to be fine," Alice reassured her.

"Right," she said sarcastically.

"Alice, Edward, leave her alone," Jasper said coolly.

"See you later," Bella said before walking away.

She now had to wait four hours before she saw Emmett. She had everything she wanted to say to him planned out, and now she had to play by his terms. He wasn't asking for much. She guessed that she could go along with it since it was Emmett.

XXXX

Bella was lost in a throng of people outside her fourth hour class. She felt someone's hand encircle her arm and pull her through the crowd making her jump in surprise.

"Easy, it's just me," Emmett said with a light laugh.

Bella sighed before leaning against him. The coldness didn't bother her as much as she thought it would. It was soothing the pain in her forearm from where she had slammed into him that weekend quite nicely. She had a nasty bruise from her elbow to just above her wrist on her left arm. Luckily, she had been able to hide it from Charlie.

He led her into the cafeteria and everyone's eyes were on them as they walked through the lunch line. He grabbed a small salad and an apple for her before grabbing a slice of pizza for himself. He had his wallet out and was paying the lunch lady before Bella could say that she could pay for her own lunch. They stopped at the drink machines and he bought her a bottle of water and bought himself a soda before leading the way towards a section of empty tables along one of the side walls.

He sat the tray down in the middle of a table by the bank of windows and sat down facing everyone else. Bella sat across from him with her back to the prying eyes. She grabbed the salad from the tray after he had handed her the water.

"I appreciate you buying me lunch, but you didn't have to. Let me pay you back."

"I wanted to. Don't worry about paying me back.

"So what do you want to know about me?"

"Start at the beginning I guess. Why did your mom move you away from here?"

"How did you know that I was originally from here? I don't remember telling you that."

"I have my sources," he said giving her a teasing smile.

"My mom wasn't originally from here and she hated everything about it. She resented my dad for not wanting to move. So she packed me up and we moved to Arizona."

"Is that where she's originally from?"

"No, it's where my grandparents retired to. Her family is originally from Seattle."

"How come you decided not to see your dad until now?"

"I used to come here every summer. I stopped when I was ten. I got bored of not doing anything except going fishing. I rarely saw my dad and my grandmother was getting to the point where dad was talking about putting her in a nursing home so she wouldn't be able to take care of me."

"You didn't answer my question."

"That was just the start of my explanation. My mom got remarried last year and my stepdad plays AAA baseball. He travels a lot and I knew that my mom wanted to go with him but she wouldn't because she didn't want me to be home alone. I hadn't seen my dad in almost a year and I wanted to be able to see him before I go off to college. So here I am."

"Do you share your mom's feelings about being here?"

"I did at first, and then it grew on me. I'm seeing it differently than when I was a kid."

"Why do you think that is?"

"I have friends now. Back then I didn't have any friends my age to play with when I was here. I for some reason don't remember Jake, Quil, or Embry from back then. I think I repressed it because I hated being here then."

"Have you ever had a boyfriend before?"

"You didn't wait long to ask that did you?" she asked with a breathless laugh.

"I gotta know where I stand," he said with a shrug and a lopsided smile.

"No. I've never had a boyfriend. I've been out on dates but nothing ever came out of it."

"Not even with Quil?"

"We never defined what we were."

"That should have let you know that something was going on."

"You're right, it should have; but I was so excited to meet a guy that I had so much in common with that I looked past it."

"I guess I can see how that would happen."

"Can I ask you something? I don't want to pry."

"Sure."

"Did you know Jacob's dad before you came over to my house?"

"No. Why?" he asked with a confused expression.

"The elders of Jacob's tribe seem to think that your family is in Washington to cause trouble."

"What all did he tell you?" he asked as his features turned serious.

"Nothing, just that his dad knew your family and that I shouldn't be friends with you."

"Is that all?"

"He confirmed something's that I was curious about. I wanted to ask you but you left so quickly that I didn't get a chance to."

"You can ask me now," he said calmly.

"How were you able to get from the living room to where I was on the stairs so fast? I have never seen anyone move that fast."

"It's complicated," he said looking down at his hands.

"You can tell me," she said reaching out to put a hand on his.

He pulled his hands out of the way a fraction of a second before she was able to touch them.

"You're cold blooded, right?"

"Yes."

"So was my grandmother. She was never as cold as you are though."

"I have a rare condition, I doubt she had it," he said as his lips formed a tight line.

"Do you have any idea what a Cold One is?"

"Where did you hear that phrase?" he asked as his voice raised three octaves.

"That's what Jacob's tribe calls your family."

"Emmett, did you forget that I need your help carrying my shop project to class?" Jasper asked from a few feet away from their table.

"I did forget, thank you for reminding me. I'll see you in Gym Bella," he said before rising from the table.

Bella hadn't heard Jasper behind her until he said something. All of the Cullen's were like that. Edward had scared her out of her wits last week by sneaking up behind her in Science. He had thought that it was hilarious and accused her of being paranoid when she asked him what his problem was.

She gathered her things when she realized that there were only a few minutes left before the bell rang. Jessica caught up with her as she was making her way towards the door. Bella looked at her out of the corner of her eye seeing her giving her a wide eyed look.

"What is going on?" she asked.

"Not much," Bella said with a shrug.

"Are you and Emmett Cullen together?"

"No," Bella said with a laugh.

"Eric said that he saw Emmett's Jeep outside your house this weekend."

"He was there for a while. What's the big deal? We're friends."

"I know you are. I just never thought that I would see any of them socialize with someone outside of their family."

Bella shrugged again before stopping at her locker.

"What is he like?"

"He's nice, and he's funny."

"He doesn't scare you?"

"Not anymore. He did the first few times that I talked to him. He is not the person everyone thinks he is. He's completely harmless."

"Harmless?" Jessica asked as her eyebrows shot up in confusion.

"He acts the way he does around others because they expect him to."

"I never thought of it like that," she said thoughtfully.

"We should go. We're going to be late," Bella said hooking a hand through the crook of Jessica's arm.

They made their way to the locker room silently leaving Bella to think about Emmett's reaction to finding out what Jacob had told her. She would have to do some research when she got home. It was obvious that she was not going to get a straight answer out of him.

**AN: I didn't want to stray away from how Emmett was in the books. I wanted him to be a take charge, yet nice kind of guy. He's not ****going to be the pushover that Edward was. I like how his character is very direct and to the point but not mean about it.**


	7. Suddenly Everything Becomes Clear

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

The next few days passed by in a blur. Emmett would be waiting for Bella outside every class. She found herself wondering how he could get to her so fast when most of the senior class rooms were on the other side of the school. He had not touched her since Monday, but he walked as close as he dared to her. They had eaten lunch together every day and every day when she tried to talk to him about Jacob and his tribe and what Jacob had told her one of the Cullen's would mysteriously appear at her shoulder without her hearing them approach. She was seriously considering having her hearing checked.

Jacob hadn't wanted to talk about Emmett or what they had discussed on Sunday when he came over on Tuesday. He had just pleaded with her to be careful which made her think that something was seriously wrong and it disturbed her.

By Friday she was starting to wonder if getting involved with Emmett was such a good idea. She was walking into school when she felt a rush of cold air before looking to her side. Sure enough, Emmett had fallen into stride with her. He held open the door for her, giving her an easy smile. She smiled back feebly, wondering what had changed since Monday.

They walked to her locker silently; she was comfortable just being with him, even if tension did roll off of him in waves when his family wasn't with them.

"Is everything okay?" she asked as she pulled her math and history books out of her locker.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"You seem different; like you've got something on your mind."

"I'm having some trouble at home," he said with a shrug.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'll tell you soon enough," he said with a teasing smile.

"So it's about me?" she asked in concern.

"Partly, don't worry, you haven't done anything wrong. My parents have been asking about you is all."

She nodded, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

"You worry too much," he said with a laugh.

"Maybe," she said with a shy smile.

"Come on," he said moving his head towards the throng of students moving down the hall.

He was close enough that she could feel the coldness of his skin, the tension was gone for now and his family was nowhere in sight. They stopped outside her first class and she saw Edward and Alice already in their seats. She turned her attention back to Emmett, seeing him stare down at her intensely. This wasn't the first time that he had looked at her like this. Every time it happened she was reminded that he felt something for her that she didn't quite understand. He had promised that he would explain it to her one day.

"I'll see you after class," he said with a crooked smile.

She nodded before walking into class. The bell rang as soon as she sat down. The teacher got them to quiet down before saying that they were having a pop quiz. Bella sent a silent thank you to God that she had been able to understand what she had learned the last few weeks in class without having to ask questions. Alice had been nice enough to talk her through it every morning when she looked over her homework for almost a week before Bella had felt confident enough to do it on her own.

She was one of the first ones finished and she felt confident that she would get at least a B on it. She started on the homework assignment while she waited for the rest of the class to finish. They started a new chapter that day and she made sure to take down every word. She didn't want to have to rely on Alice again. Not that she thought that Alice would mind, she just didn't like relying on others when she could do something herself.

She saw movement outside the door with less than a minute left in class. How had Emmett gotten out there already? She would ask him about him on the way to her next class. The bell rang and she bolted from her seat, grabbing her books before hurrying passed Jessica.

"Hold on a sec, I wanted to talk to you," Jessica said, putting a hand on her arm.

Emmett gave her a nod before leaning against the lockers across the hall.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to ask you if you would go to Port Angeles with me and Angela tomorrow. We're going prom dress shopping and we both want your opinion."

"Sure."

"Thank you! You want regret it, I promise," she said pulling Bella in for a quick hug.

"Not a problem," Bella said, patting her back awkwardly.

Jessica let go and Bella walked out of the room. She stood in front of Emmett, who was still leaning against the lockers a few seconds later.

"What did she want?"

"She wants me to go to Port Angeles with her and Angela tomorrow."

He nodded before pushing away from the lockers. They walked to her next class, talking idly until they got to the door.

"See you in forty five minutes," she said giving him a teasing look.

"See you," he said with a dazzling smile.

She walked into class, not thinking twice about what had happened during math or why Emmett always seemed to be waiting for her outside every class. She would ask him about it during lunch.

XXXX

Bella hadn't gotten the chance to talk to Emmett during lunch. He left after third period, telling her that he would call her tomorrow. She was at home that night waiting for the pizza she had ordered to get there when her phone rang. Jacob's name flashed across the screen before she opened it.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"What's going on?"

"We're headed to your house."

"We?" she asked with a laugh.

"Quil, Embry and I," he explained.

"I wish that you had called me half an hour ago. I could have ordered more pizza."

"We'll pick something up. I just wanted to let you know that we're on our way."

"I'll see you when you get here."

She was glad that they were coming over. A guys opinion on what was going on with Emmett would help a lot. Maybe one of them would finally tell her what was going on.

She was paying for the pizza when Embry's car pulled up out front. The four friends formed a circle on the living room floor, Bella eating pizza while the boys eyed her wearily. They hadn't stopped like Jacob said they would.

"Oh good grief, go and get yourselves paper plates out of the pantry," she said rolling her eyes.

"Thanks Bells," Embry said being the one designated to get up.

Bella broached the subject of Emmett once the boys were back in the room.

"Maybe you guys can help me with something. When a guy won't answer questions about himself, does that mean that he's hiding something?"

"Absolutely," Embry said with a nod before taking a pull of his drink.

"Having trouble with the pretty boy already?" Jacob teased.

"He's a pretty boy who could kick your ass. I don't know, I've been trying to talk to him about what you and I talked about and every time I do, we get interrupted."

"Who interrupts?" Quil asked.

"His siblings," she answered with a sigh.

"How many siblings can he have that go to school with you?" Embry asked.

"There are four of them, they're adopted."

"I told you to be careful with them," Jacob said.

"Who does she need to be careful with?" Quil asked.

"Emmett is a Cullen."

"You also told me that you didn't see things the way your dad does."

"I'm with Jake Bella; maybe being friends with Emmett isn't a good idea," Quil said.

"Has he done anything that would make you think something was wrong? Does he act weird when you ask him questions?"

"No. It's just strange that his brothers and sisters appear out of nowhere with some excuse for him to leave."

"Here's what you do, get him to come over here; that way his family can't interfere," Jacob said.

"We'll be here if you need us," Embry said reassuringly.

"That might not be a bad idea."

"Let us know what you decide," Quil said.

"Enough talk about Emmett, what's going on with Eliska?"

"Nothing," Quil said quietly.

"That girl has blinders just his size," Embry said with a laugh.

"She does not!" Quil said, glaring at him.

"She is talking to him at least," Jacob said.

"That's something. Just be patient," Bella said patting Quil's arm lightly.

"If only you went to school with us, then maybe you could talk to her," Jacob said.

"Just because I don't go to school with you doesn't mean that I can't talk to her. You said that she was the mascot for the basketball team, right?"

"He's gone to every game this year just to see her," Embry said in a teasing manner.

"Maybe I should go to the game this Saturday, I'll casually mention that I dated you and that you and I are still friends, so she that she knows what a good guy you are," she offered.

"You'd do that for me?"

"What are friends for?"

"Thanks Bells," Quil said with a thankful smile.

With the subject dropped Bella still felt ill at ease about Emmett, the boys hadn't been able to give her any information that she didn't already know. She caught Jacob watching her and he jerked his head towards the kitchen. She gathered everyone's plates and soda cans before going into the kitchen. Jacob came in less than a minute later.

"I heard more about the Cullen's; I just didn't want to bring it up in front of them."

"What did you hear?"

"I was walking on the beach the other night and I saw Paul and Jared ahead of me. I was close enough that I could hear what they were saying. Bells, I don't think getting involved with Emmett is a good idea."

"What did you hear?" Bella asked again.

"They called them bloodsuckers."

"You mean, like vampires? Vampires aren't real Jake," she said with a scoff.

"This is serious Bells. I want you to be careful."

"I am being as careful as I can. You shouldn't worry about what you heard. It isn't true."

"How do you know? He won't answer any of your questions."

"His family won't let him answer my questions. There is a difference."

"Do you honestly think that he would give you a straight answer if he had the chance?"

"I don't know."

"Be realistic Bells. He wouldn't answer your questions, and you know it."

"You don't know him the way I do."

"Why are you defending him?"

"Because he's a good person; and he doesn't deserve to have you talking about him like that."

"Fine, I'm sorry I brought it up. I thought that you would want to know," he said with a sigh.

"Thank you for looking out for me, but I don't need you to," she said, giving him a sincere look.

He nodded then looked over his shoulder when Embry called his name. Embry and Quil were both standing by the door.

"Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'll see you around Bells."

"Bye Bells," Quil said with a wave before walking out the door.

"Bye guys. See you Saturday," she said before Jacob shut the door.

Bella threw the pizza box, plates and cans in the trash before taking the trash outside. She couldn't brush what Jacob had said aside. Emmett's being a vampire was so farfetched that she wanted to laugh. Why would Jacob even think something like that? She didn't know Paul and Jared very well, so she didn't want to take what Jacob had heard them say to heart. She would do some research and form her own opinion. Now that the seed had been planted, she had to get to the bottom of what was going on.

XXXX

Bella slapped her alarm clock to turn off then shoved it off her nightstand for good measure. She felt a twinge of smug satisfaction when it clattered to the floor and she heard the batteries fall out and roll across the floor. She would have at least fifteen more minutes before her dad came to see why she wasn't up yet. She was going to take what she could get.

She had been on the computer until one last night searching vampire lore on the computer. She had no idea that there were so many people who took the subject seriously. One website that she found would have been more than helpful if she actually believed that Emmett was a vampire. According to the website, Emmett had all the telltale signs of being a vampire. The cold marble like skin, the aversion to sunlight and the speed were just three of the things that she wanted to question him about. She would never tell Jacob what she had done, he would tell her that he was right and it was another reason for her to not be associated with the Cullen's. She was not going to jump to conclusions.

Her dad could be heard walking up the stairs and she rolled over in bed with a sigh. He pushed open the door enough to stick his head in.

"You up?"

"Yeah," she said with a sigh.

"You don't sound too happy about it."

"I stayed up too late."

"You're still going to school unless you don't want to go with Angela and Jessica today," he said sternly.

"I know the drill," she said pushing the blanket and sheet off of her.

She was dressed and downstairs in less than ten minutes. Her dad was looking through the refrigerator when she walked into the kitchen.

"Where's the left over pizza?"

"There isn't any; Jake, Quil and Embry came over last night, sorry."

"It's alright. Pizza for breakfast is bad for you anyway," he said shutting the door with a sigh.

She gathered her stuff for school before grabbing an apple from the bowl by the refrigerator. She ate it as she waited for the truck to warm up. What she had done last night still weighed on her. Now she really needed to talk to Emmett, just to distill the rumor that Jacob had spread.

The sun shone brightly through her windshield and for the first time since she had gotten the truck she had to pull down the visor. At school, she searched the parking lot for any of the Cullen's cars. When she didn't see them she shook her head in dismay. She was beginning to rely on Emmett too much and it wasn't healthy.

Once inside, she found Angela talking to Eric. She waved as she passed them and Angela waved back with a smile. Jessica was outside their math class talking to Tyler and Mike when Bella walked in. Since she was half an hour early she laid her head down, hoping to get a little sleep before class started.

The warning bell ringing twenty five minutes later woke her up with a jolt. She pushed her hair out of her face with a sigh.

"Did you have a good nap?" Jessica teased.

"I stayed up too late last night," Bella said with a shaky laugh.

"I've done it myself, so I'm not going to pass judgment on you. Are you going to be able to go with us today?"

"Sure."

"I was thinking that we could take my car. We would be too cramped in your truck and Angela doesn't have a car."

"That's fine."

"Okay. We'll talk more during lunch."

Bella nodded with a smile as the bell rang and a few stragglers wandered into class. She opened her notebook and started copying notes once the teacher called the class to a start. With her head clear for the time being she was able to focus. She wasn't going to worry about talking to Emmett until she actually saw him.

The first half of her day passed without sight of Emmett or his siblings. When she walked into the lunchroom she scanned their section of the room to find it empty.

"They're never here when it's nice out. It's the strangest thing." Eric said, stopping a few feet away from her.

"That is strange," she said in agreement.

"We're all going to eat outside if you want to join us."

"I'll be there in a few minutes," she said walking towards the lunch line.

The weather had warmed since that morning. The puddles that had formed on the sidewalk from yesterday's rain were quickly evaporating as she walked through the throng of students. She found her friends easily and sat at the end of the bench next to Angela. Jessica sat on the table, sunning herself. So far Eric was the only boy who had made his way outside. He sat on Angela's other side, leaning in to whisper in her ear.

"It's good that you're sitting with us today. I wanted to talk to you," Jessica said, not opening her eyes.

"What did you want to talk about?"

"Emmett."

"What about him?"

"Have you been to their house?"

"No," Bella said with a laugh.

"Have you met their parents?"

"His dad came to my house to talk to my dad last weekend."

"Are the two of you friends, or something more?"

"Right now, I'd say we're friends. We haven't really defined what's going on yet."

"Emmett obviously likes you," Angela said joining the conversation.

"Oh, definitely," Jessica agreed, nodding her head quickly.

Jessica went back to sunning herself and Angela leaning in.

"If you want my opinion, I like Emmett better than Edward. He's better looking too. Just don't tell Jess that I said that," she whispered.

"You're secrets safe with me."

Angela gave her a bashful smile before pulling away. Bella opened her sandwich and started eating as Mike and Tyler sat down. The conversation turned to the upcoming dance and she tuned it out. She and dancing did not associate with one another.

XXXX

After two hours of watching Jessica and Angela try on dresses Bella was regretting saying that she would come with them. They had tried on five dresses each and each dress had looked amazing on them. Angela was leaning more towards the conservative side since her dad was a minister while Jessica felt that she had to flaunt her size D boobs.

"What do you think?" Jessica asked turning in front of a bank of mirrors.

"It looks great," Bella said.

"You've said that about every single dress we've tried on."

"They all looked great."

"I think she's right. That looks great on you," Angela said.

Jessica turned, checking out her backside in the mirror. She turned, looking at her chest scrutinizingly.

"You don't think it shows too much cleavage?"

"Isn't that what you were going for?"

"Yes and there's also a fine line between tasteful and asking for it."

"That dress doesn't cross the line. It might hug it, but it's perfectly respectable," Bella said.

"Thanks Bella," Jessica said brightly.

"I think I'm going to get the second one I tried on."

"The lavender one with the halter top?" Jessica asked from the changing room.

"Yeah," Angela confirmed.

"That's the one that I liked best," Bella said with a reassuring nod.

"I'm glad you came today."

"Don't you two still need to shop for accessories?"

"Yeah, if you want to shop for yourself we can meet you at the restaurant in half an hour," Jessica said coming out of the changing room.

"There is this book store that I wanted to check out."

"We'll see you at the restaurant," Angela said from the changing room.

Bella was one street over, searching for the book store five minutes later. She stopped in front of it, checking the merchandise from outside. It was mainly a Native American store/ medicine shop that also sold books on folklore. She pushed open the door and the bell above the door sounded lightly. The long haired man behind the counter nodded politely before asking if he could help her with anything.

"I'm just looking," she said with a shake of her head.

She walked to the back of the store where the books were kept. She had gone on the stores website last night on a whim and had found a book that would help in finding out if what Jacob had said was true or not. She wanted to believe him, but a part of her was still skeptical. She paused half way down the aisle when she found what she was looking for. She pulled the book from the shelf, running her hand over the cover. 'Vampires: The Unexplained, Explained' was the title. She flipped the book over to check the price to make sure she had enough money to pay for it.

With the book in hand she made her way to the counter. The man picked it up, studying it with scrutiny. She hoped that he didn't ask any questions. He rang the book up, and then bagged it for her before pressing a button on the register.

"That'll be twenty fifty," he said without looking at her.

She handed him a twenty and a five and he handed her the change before handing her the bag. She shoved the money in her pocket before waving to the man. He nodded in response before she walked out the door. The sun had set while she was inside. It was getting dark fast and the street lights were turning on all around her. She turned a corner and saw the restaurant up ahead and Jessica and Angela were waiting out front.

"Have you been here long?" she asked as she walked up to them.

"We just got here," Angela said with a shake of her head.

"Did you find what you wanted?" Jessica asked gesturing to the bag she was carrying.

"Yeah," she said holding up her bag.

"Come on let's eat, I'm starving," Jessica said leading the way into the restaurant.

She followed closely behind them, her mind on the book that she had just bought. She hoped that neither of them asked about it. She didn't want to have to explain it to them.

XXXX

Bella was skimming through the book when she heard her dad pull up just before eleven. She marked her page before slipping it into her nightstand drawer. So far, the book hadn't told her anything useful, then again she had only been looking through it for five minutes. Her dad was walking through the front door as she walked down the stairs.

"I figured you would have stayed over at one of the girls' houses tonight."

"Nope, Angela isn't allowed to have friends over unless her parents know them and Jessica has to be at work early in the morning."

"What did you do tonight?"

"Not much. I watched a movie and then I took a shower."

"How long have you been home?"

"Since eight thirty."

Charlie nodded as he untied his boots. They were placed underneath the bench by the front door before he told her goodnight and headed upstairs. She grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator before going back upstairs. The shower was turned on as she passed the bathroom so she shut her door before pulling the book from her nightstand.

She had been reading for ten minutes before she came across a chapter on how not all vampires were the same. Every nation had its own beliefs. She read through the chapter entire chapter once, then went back to read about Olympic Region vampires. Little by little, all of her fears were proved right. The book described Emmett's family perfectly. They had left nothing out. She knew without a doubt that Emmett was a vampire. She should be more surprised than she was, she should be shocked, scared even; but she wasn't. Even with the information coming to light she knew that Emmett would never hurt her. Now she knew why he had been so distant, he hadn't wanted to hurt her. She needed to talk to him.

She dialed his number without looking down at her phone. It rang three times before his voice mail came on.

"Hey. I'm not able to get to the phone right now. Leave a message."

"It's me. Could you call me back as soon as you get this? I need to talk to you."

She closed her phone with a sigh before turning out her light. She got underneath the covers and got situated before staring up at the ceiling. She knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep until she talked to him, but she was going to try.

XXXX

Emmett listened to Bella's message before shutting his phone. She had called him three times since Friday night. He had a feeling that he knew what she wanted to talk to him about. Somehow, she had found out the truth. She didn't sound scared or even mad at him, which threw him off. If she knew, that would change things completely. He wouldn't have to lie; they could be together if she chose to.

"Bella called you again?" Edward asked.

"Yeah," Emmett said with a nod.

"Maybe you should talk to Carlisle."

"I've tried. He won't listen."

"Then talk to Esme. She'll help you make Carlisle see that you are strong enough to handle being in a relationship with Bella."

"He doesn't think that she will understand."

"Alice has told him numerous times that Bella will understand."

"You think she knows?"

"I'm almost positive that she does."

"Well, at least she isn't freaking out about it. It could be worse."

"You're right. I'm probably worrying over nothing."

Edward put a hand on his shoulder, patting it gently before walking away. Emmett was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands when Carlisle found him five minutes later.

"Something wrong Emmett?"

"I'm just wondering when you are going to ease up on me is all," he said with a sigh.

"What do you mean?" Carlisle asked, walking into the room.

"I told you that you had to trust me when it came to Bella and now there's a possibility that she knows."

"Did you say something to her?" Carlisle was now sitting across from Emmett.

"No. I've been a good little boy and I am doing everything that you say," Emmett said giving him an even look.

"What makes you think that she knows?"

"She's called me four times in the past two days. She's been asking questions for the past week."

"What kind of questions?"

"She knows about the Quileute legends. She and her dad have friends in La Push."

"That could become a problem."

"It hasn't been so far. I've meet two of her friends. They won't be any trouble."

"So she has told them that about you?"

"Yes."

"This isn't good. I'm going to need to go down there."

"What if Bella becomes more persistant?"

"Use your judgment Emmett; you're going to do whatever you want anyway."

"You aren't mad, are you?"

"No. I just wish that you had told me that she had friends on the reservation before now."

Carlisle pushed himself off of the couch with a sigh. Emmett could hear him on the phone less than five seconds later. Carlisle had given him the okay to talk to Bella about who he was. How could he tell her without scaring her? Alice came into the room and sat next to him and slipped her arms around his waist. It was times like this when he wished that he could read her mind like Edward could.

"Everything is going to be fine. I see Bella coming over for dinner next week. Esme is going to love her just as much as you do."

Emmett let out the breath he had been holding in a huge whoosh of relief. Should he call her now or should he wait until tomorrow.

"Wait until tomorrow, it's going to be nice out and you can show her who you really are."

He hadn't thought of that. Was he ready to show her what happened when he was exposed to sunlight? He would make that decision when the time came. He just hoped that everything went well. Alice sighed dramatically and he looked down at her. She gave him an accusing look before rolling her eyes. She couldn't blame him for being nervous. He felt like he had just before telling his wife how he felt about her. It wasn't as bad as when he had asked her to marry him, but the waiting was going to drive him insane.


	8. Two Less Lonely People

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Bella walked out onto the porch trying to stay dry under the small overhang. She locked the door with her back turned to the driveway and dropped her keys as she pulled them out of the lock. The keys slid underneath the railing and into the bushes in front of the living room window before she could reach for them. She saw a blur of black, white and denim as she stood upright. Emmett was at the bottom of the stairs holding her keys out to her before she could blink.

"Thanks," she said as she took them.

"You're welcome," he said giving her a dazzling smile.

"Is your phone not working?" she asked once she had regained her train of thought.

"I wanted to call you, but I thought that it would better if we talked face to face. I wasn't able to get away from the house all weekend."

"I guess I can accept that answer," she said as she pulled her bag onto her shoulder.

Emmett held his hand out to her and she slipped hers into it. She hadn't noticed that the steps were icy. Once at the end of the walkway she tried to pull her hand from his. He tightened his grip on her, pulling her towards his jeep. He opened the door for her and then wrapped an arm around her waist before gently lifting her into the cab. She pulled at the seatbelt only to find that there was more to it than she thought.

"Let me help you," he said as he reached across her.

He had her strapped in in less than ten seconds. She felt like she was harnessed in to go bungee jumping, she was sure that she wouldn't budge for the whole ride to school. He climbed into the cab easily and started the jeep. Thunderous rock music came blasting through the speakers making her jump. He punched a button on the dashboard quickly and the jeep was filled with silence again.

"Sorry about that," he said, laughing sheepishly.

"It's okay. I should have expected that."

"Why?" he asked with a laugh.

"Isn't that the decibel that all guys listen to music at in the cars?"

"Most guys, there are a few exceptions."

"Your brothers and dad don't?"

"Jasper does, Edward and Carlisle do not."

"I had a feeling that Edward wouldn't do something like that. He cares too much what people think of him."

"I tell him that all the time."

"I do too."

Emmett's laughter vibrated through the cab as he pulled out of the driveway. He turned in the opposite direction from school and they were on the highway before Bella said anything.

"Are we making an out of the way detour before school?"

"We are ditching today. You aren't the only one who needs to get something off their chests."

"What if I had something that I had to do at school today?"

"I checked before I made the decision to do this. You don't," he said turning his head to look at her.

She was silent as she watched the scenery speed past them at an alarming rate. She looked at the dashboard behind the steering wheel and her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that they were going almost a hundred miles an hour.

"Don't you think you should slow down? Or at least watch the road?" she asked nervously.

"Only because you're scared." he said turning his head to look out the windshield.

The scenery slowed considerably and when she looked at the speedometer again they were only going sixty five miles an hour.

"For your information, I was not scared. I just didn't want my dad to not only find out that I ditched school but that I had been killed in a car accident," she said after a few minutes of silence.

Emmett nodded as he turned off a dirt road into the forest. The jeep slowed to a crawl as they climbed the side of a mountain where there wasn't any road. Bella was now glad that she was harnessed in.

"Shouldn't you put your seat belt on? Or find the road leading up the mountain like a normal person?"

"You worry too much," he said with a scoff.

"I'm not worried; I'm scared for my life. There's a difference."

Emmett sighed and veered off to the left and less than a minute later they were on the road leading up the mountain.

"Thank you," she said keeping her eyes forward.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he said getting her attention.

She looked over at him to find him looking at her from underneath his eyelashes. She smiled in response as he continued up the mountain. He hit a button on the steering wheel and the music came back on. He turned it down quickly before changing it to a different station. Debussy played softly and she hummed along softly with the melody.

The next song was halfway through its first overture when the jeep came to a stop. Emmett turned off the jeep but didn't take the keys out of the ignition. He opened his door and hopped down without making a sound. Bella tried to undue the harness to no avail as he ran around the front of the truck.

"Let me get it," he said leaning across her.

"Thanks," she said with a grateful smile.

He picked her up carefully, pulling her from the cab. Her eyes met his as he looked down at her. When he didn't put her down immediately she wrapped her arms around his neck. He took off into the woods at lightning fast speed making her tighten her grip then bury her face in his neck.

After what seemed like half an hour he finally slowed down enough that she felt comfortable enough to lift her head from his shoulder.

"You don't suffer from motion sickness do you?" he asked in concern.

"I didn't before, but if you do that again I just might, "she said weakly.

"It takes some getting used to. I had the same problem when I first realized that I could do it," he said setting her down gently.

"Where are we?"

"We are on Mount Rainer."

"That's two hours outside of Forks," she said in shock.

"You saw how fast I was driving. Why are you surprised?" he asked, laughing lightly.

"Why are we here?" she asked in confusion.

"This is where I am from. I was born and raised on this mountain," he said with a sentimental smile.

"You were?" she asked with intrigue.

"Yep, do you see that valley down at the bottom?" he asked, pointing down to a patch of land snaking around the side of the mountain.

"That's where you lived?"

"Yep," he said with a wide smile.

"How long ago was that?" she asked, noticing that the valley was practically deserted except for a few houses that looked like they hadn't been lived in in years.

"You have to promise that you will keep an open mind," he began.

"I promise," she said with a nod.

"I should tell you that what Jacob told you about my family was true," he said lightly.

"I already know that," she said with a slow nod.

"He never should have told you," he said with a frustrated sigh.

"He didn't know that it was the truth when he told me. He thought that it was just something that the elders of his tribe had told him when he was little to scare him. Plus, I did some research of my own," she said in defense.

"What did you find out?" he asked, not able to look at her.

"More than I wanted to but I will never pass judgment on you," she said, turning to face him.

"Why aren't you scared?" he whispered.

"I know that you won't hurt me," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

He shook his head, running a hand down his face with a sigh. She brushed her hair out of her face giving him a concerned look.

"Which story would you like to hear first? How I grew up, or how I became to be the person I am today?" he asked looking down at her.

"Start from the beginning," she said in encouragement.

"My full name is Emmett Dale McCarthy Cullen and I was born in nineteen twenty-two. I spent every Saturday from the time I was nine until the day I was changed hunting these woods. I know it like the back of my hand. My parents were good people who wanted nothing more than to dote on my sister and me."

"You have a sister?"

"I had a sister. Cecilia would be a hundred years old if she were still alive. She was trampled by a horse before she saw her twentieth birthday," he said sadly.

"What were your parents like?"

"My father was a Baptist minister who thought that I would eventually follow in his footsteps."

"I can't see you being a minister," she said laughing lightly.

"I couldn't either. He didn't like it too much when I told him that I wanted to be a logger like both of my grandfathers had been," he said with a wide grin.

"What did your mother do? Was she a stay at home mom?"

"She was a teacher. She was the only person who could keep me in line. I gave my dad so much trouble and yet all she had to do was look at me a certain way and I would do whatever she said. She was a very soft spoken, sweet natured person, she didn't talk much," he said forlornly.

"Did you ever become a logger?"

"I'm getting to that, just be patient," he said taking hold of her hand.

"Keep going."

"I had a very easy life; I wanted what most people wanted. I wanted to find a career that I could excel at, then get married and have some kids. Then I would watch them grow then we would grow old together," he said sadly.

"Everyone wants a life like that. I'm sorry that you didn't get to see it happen."

"Would you stop interrupting? I met my wife when I was fifteen at a church social. Mallory was my whole world at time. She was everything that I thought I wanted. She had this long red hair the color of a shiny new penny and these emerald green eyes that I could stare into for hours. She was three years older than I was and once I finished school at sixteen I asked her father for permission to court her. Less than a year later I was asking him for her hand in marriage. I had a stable job at the lumber yard and was quickly working my way up the ranks to become a logger. We were married a few months shy of my eighteenth birthday. We were blissfully happy; the only thing missing was a child of our own. She had gotten pregnant twice the first year that we were married. When she lost the second baby we decided to let nature take its course and let God grace us with a baby when he felt we were ready. I was working in the woods one morning when I heard a loud snap behind me. My gun was ten feet away, and I was cursing myself for not keeping it close by. The bear was on me before I could turn around. His paws were everywhere at once and I was helpless to fend him off so the only thing I could do was lay there and let him think that I was dead until he finally stopped and wandered off. I was unconscious when Carlisle found me. He said that he had to change me right then and he and Edward carried me back to the house. If he had waited to change me when they got me to the house I would have been dead," he said shaking his head to clear the memory.

"Do you still have the scars from the bear?" Bella asked in concern.

"No. My face would be maimed and I wouldn't have had my arms. Carlisle was able to sow them back on."

"What happened to Mallory?"

"She died a few years ago. She grieved for ten years before finally remarrying. She went on to have three children. One of which she named Emmett," he said proudly.

"So you kept contact with her?"

"She never knew that I went to see her. I checked in on my parents until my mother died fifteen years ago," he said shaking his head again.

"When did your father die?"

"Not long after I was changed. He mourned so much that the grief killed him," he said quietly.

"What did your mother and Mallory think happened to you?"

"There had been bear sightings in the woods for weeks so they assumed that a bear had gotten ahold of me."

"So that brings us to the Cullen's," she said encouraging him to go on.

"None of us are the same. Carlisle is the peace maker; Esme dotes on us like any mother would. Edward is a good guy, even if he is prudish and closed minded sometimes. Rosalie keeps him on his toes; she's very opinionated, if she doesn't like you she'll let you know. Alice is so sweet that you can't help but love her and Jasper is very reserved and can be introverted at times."

"I hadn't noticed," Bella said sarcastically.

"I don't fit into my family as you can tell."

"Every family needs a black sheep. That just makes you special," she said teasingly.

"I was the black sheep of both of my families. I have never done what people expect me to do." he said gruffly.

"Because that would be boring," she said, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"Yes! I knew you would understand," he said with a boisterous laugh.

"What is it like being a vampire?" she questioned.

"It can be very lonely if you don't have someone to share it with," he said sadly.

"You have your family," she acknowledged.

"I mean a mate. There are things that my siblings and parents share with each other that I cannot begin to understand," he said with a sigh.

"The bond of love for someone else," she said in recognition.

"Yes." he said lightly.

"But you have had that bond with someone once."

"And I have lived my life in a black abyss ever since until I met you," he said, pulling her to him.

Bella looked up at him, her eyes hooded by her lashes. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. She had felt like she was just drifting through life until she met him. When he had stopped talking to her not long after she had gotten to town, she felt like there was a gaping hole in her heart. It wasn't until he came back into her life that she realized that he played a more important part in her life than anyone ever had. She needed him just as much as he needed her, that fact came back to shock her like someone throwing ice cold water in her face.

"You don't have anything to say?" he asked with arched eyebrows.

"Sorry. I was thinking that my life changed as soon as I met you. I was too scared to admit it until now," she said just above a whisper.

"Vampires have that effect on people," he said solemnly.

"What effect?" she prodded.

"We can make people think that they are infatuated with us. Everything about us brings you in. The way we look, the way we smell, the sound of our voice, you would be powerless if you tried to fight it," he said as his features changed from sadness to torture.

"I am not infatuated with you Emmett, what I feel for you goes beyond how everyone else at school feels about you and your family," she said pointedly.

"Are you saying what I think what you are saying?" he asked his features changing once more, this time he looked almost hopeful.

"I can't live without you either," she said in wonder.

"It's not exactly what I was hoping you would say, but I'll take it," he said with a wide grin.

"Does being so close to me bother you? If it does, I can step away," she reasoned.

"Stay. I consider being this close to you a test of wills," he said, tightening his grip on her.

"How are you doing?" she asked, with worry.

"I haven't lunged for you have I?" he asked with a sigh.

"What is it like? The feeling of being so close to someone; yet having everything about them consume you?" she wondered out loud.

"It's not easy. It's like a drug that you can't get enough of. I would kill for you; do anything I could, just to have a chance to be close to you, to hear your heartbeat and your blood rushing through your body," he explained.

"That's pretty intense," Bella said, laughing shakily.

"Well, you asked," he said with a shrug.

"That I did," she said with a nod.

"So, you like me huh?" he asked in a teasing manner.

"I'd say that it's more than like, I'm not ready to voice what it is yet," she said, wishing that she could be as vocal as he was.

"Telling someone that you love them is a huge leap of faith. It is good to know that you feel that way though."

"I do," she said reassuringly.

"I want to show you something."

"There's more?" she asked with a laugh.

"You need to see what I look like in the sun," he said his voice turning serious.

She nodded, biting her lip in concern. She was worried that something would happen to him.

"I'm not going to turn to stone, or ash, and I won't melt so don't worry," he said reading her mind.

"What will happen?"

"It's something that you have to see to believe," he said picking her up again.

He took off at a jog up the incline through the woods. She could see a break in the trees up ahead and the sun was shining brightly in the single point of the forest. It seemed like only seconds later they were standing just outside of the ring of light. He set her down then shrugged off his jacket, placing on a nearby boulder. He unbuttoned his shirt slowly, his eyes locked with hers.

"Close your eyes," he said, turning to walk towards the light.

She did as she was told and when he cleared his throat a second later she opened her eyes. Nothing could have prepared her for what she saw. The sunlight sent prisms of light bouncing off of him making every piece of exposed skin glitter like diamonds. She silently walked towards him, standing as close to him as he would let her. She reached out to touch his exposed neck, not thinking. Her hand shrunk away a fraction of an inch away from his skin.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

He took hold of her hand, placing it on his shoulder. She looked up, seeing his eyes closed, his face blank. She placed her other hand on his other shoulder then pushed his shirt down his arms. Her eyes never left his face as her fingers trailed down his arms. He made a soft noise in the back of his throat that let her know that he enjoyed what she was doing. Her hands moved to his sides, her fingers tracing his ribs before moving to his torso. His stomach was more defined than she remembered. Her hands slowly made their way up to his chest to feel his pecs flex and relax underneath her fingers. When her hands stopped at the side of his neck he finally opened his eyes. He stared down at her, giving her the loving look that she had come to need just as much as she needed oxygen.

"You're perfect," she sighed.

"I want to kiss you so bad," he groaned.

"You can't kiss me?" she asked, her face crest fallen.

"Not the way I want to, not without hurting you."

"How can you hurt me by kissing me?" she asked in confusion.

"If I lose control, I can kill you without meaning to," he explained.

"Please don't tell me that you actually have fangs," she groaned.

"No, I do not," he said giving her an even look.

"Your venom is in your mouth, why didn't I remember that?" she said with a strangled sigh.

"Sometimes I forget about it myself. Usually my prey is half dead before I bite into it."

Bella looked up at him with wide eyes. He chuckled before shaking his head.

"We don't kill humans if that is what you are thinking," he said hurriedly.

"I thought that was what vampires did," she asked giving him a confused look.

"Most do, but there are some of us who choose to live a more humane life. We live off of animals."

"You kill rabbits?" she asked in horror.

"We only hunt animals that are over populating the area. Like deer and mountain lions."

"Have you ever killed a bear?"

"One or two," he said with a shrug.

"I would think that there wouldn't be many in Forks," she said in recognition.

"That's why I come here when I'm in the mood to hunt for bears," he said with a wink.

She ran her hands down his arms once more to place his hands on her hips before running her hands slowly up his body again.

"I have to admit that I am glad that I showed what I look like. I'm going to want to do this more often if you keep this up," he said as his arms slid around her waist to rest at the small of her back.

"Is my being this close to you bothering you?" she asked again.

"I have had sixty years of being around humans Bella, the only pull you have on me is that you give off the most intoxicating smell I have ever smelled. I can't get enough of it," he said wistfully.

"Did you feel this way about your wife?"

"No. I did love her, but this goes farther than that," he said, shaking his head to reassure her.

Her fingers splayed over his shoulders, marveling at their width. She was surprised to find that his skin wasn't as cold as she thought it would be. Maybe it was because her skin was heated and it was another warm, pleasant day, but his skin wasn't as cold as it had been the night he had saved her from falling. His skin was smooth under her touch, and when he tucked a finger underneath her chin to tilt her head she looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"As much as I like this, I hear some hunters a few miles off. I need to get dressed."

She nodded, pulling away from him. She missed the contact immediately as she watched him pick up his shirt which had landed at his feet. He slipped it on but didn't button it before reaching for his jacket.

"We're going to need to take the long way around to where I want to take you next," he explained.

He lifted her into his arms once more and she rested her head on his shoulder once she had draped her arms over his shoulders loosely. If he was going to always carry her like this she was going to have to get used to the alarming rate of speed that he ran. The wind burned her eyes, but she was determined to keep them open, she focused on him as he continued to dodge trees and duck under low branches.

Five minutes later he came to stop at the bottom of the mountain. Bella took in their surroundings. There was a hawk flying through the sky, letting out a loud cry as it dove into the lake off to the side of where they stood.

"Where are we?"

"See that house right there?" he asked gesturing towards a small dilapidated log cabin a hundred yards to the left of where they were standing.

"Is that your house?"

He nodded as he set her down. He took one of her hands in his and he led her around the side of the house. There were four grave plots under a tree in the back yard. He let go of her hand long enough to button his shirt before pulling her towards the tree. They were his parents and sisters graves. There was even a marker for him, even though the ground was smooth in front of it. His parent's names had been Robert and Elizabeth and his sister's name had been August. Bella was silent as Emmett picked flowers from a nearby thatch of wildflowers. He placed a few on each grave before picking weeds from them.

"I come here once a month to see them and put fresh flowers on their graves," he said quietly.

"I think that's nice. Do you ever bring anyone with you?"

"You're the first," he reassured her.

"Are any of the others from Washington?"

"No. Carlisle is from England and Esme is from Maine. Edward is from Chicago, Rosalie's from Raleigh, we aren't sure where Alice is from originally but she spent her life after being changed in Pittsburg and Jasper is from San Antonio."

"Have you always lived here in Washington?"

"No, we spent some time in New York and Connecticut and the last place we lived was Alaska, we lived there for almost twenty years."

"Do you always spend so much time in one place?"

"No. We were only in Connecticut for ten years. We've lived in other places, but those are the three that we've spent the most time in."

"When you leave, you'll let me know won't you?" she asked, looking up at him with doe eyes.

"Of course I will, you'll need time to pack and think of a way to tell Charlie that you are leaving. Don't worry; we won't be leaving any time soon," he said, patting her hand lightly.

She let the subject drop, trusting that he would keep his word. She didn't realize that he had moved around so much. It was like they were gypsies or nomads, making a home wherever they could find room to settle down. Could she live like that? She had always prided herself on having structure and purpose. She would just have to get used to it, but right now she was going to live in the moment.

He tugged on her hand, pulling her from her thoughts. Once she acknowledged him he pulled around the side of the house to the lake. There were no other houses in the area, so once they were at the shore he slipped off his jacket and shirt once more. He slipped off his shoes and socks before rolling up his pants. Bella followed suit, joining him as he sat on the bank. They sank their feet in at the same time and Bella was shocked to find out that the water was cold enough to numb her feet almost instantly.

"Good grief!" she said pulling her feet out and rubbing circulation back into them.

He laughed at her before pulling her to him. She lay on her side with her head resting in the crook of his shoulder. He draped an arm over her shoulders before burying his face in her hair. They lay that way with her legs tangled in his while he answered every questioned she had about him and both of his families. He told her the Alice and Edward's stories because she was curious about them but he stopped her line of questioning when it came to his parents, Rosalie and Jasper. They were stories that were best told by them. He knew that she wasn't ready for the harsh reality that came from being a vampire. He would tell her about the unfairness of the vampire world another time.

The sun was almost touching the trees when Bella realized how late it was.

"I have to get home. My dad is probably already home and he's going to be worried about me."

"I can have you home in half an hour if you let me drive a hundred miles an hour," he promised.

"Just this once," she said as she let him pick her up.

He sped through the forest and they were at the jeep in less than ten minutes. Once in the jeep she checked her phone which she had left in her bag. Her dad had called her twice already. She opened her phone as the engine roared to life.

"Where are you?" Charlie asked after picking up on the first ring.

"Hey, Dad," she answered.

"Where are you?" he asked again, frantic.

"I'm with Emmett; he invited me to go to Port Angeles with him. I didn't think you would mind," she explained calmly.

"Are you on your way home?"

"I should be there in half an hour," she said in reassurance.

"Why didn't you answer your phone earlier?"

"I left it in the jeep. Sorry, Dad," she apologized.

"Just don't do it again," he warned.

"I'll make sure to keep my phone on me from now on."

"I guess I'll see you in half an hour."

"Do you want me to pick up dinner?"

"No. I'm making spaghetti."

"Is that safe?" she asked with a shaky laugh.

"I'll have you know that I survived on spaghetti and fried eggs before you got here," he said with a sigh.

"I guess I'll find out if I need to call the fire department when I get there."

"Ha, ha, ha, see you later kid," he said endearingly.

She hung up the phone a minute later to watch Emmett out of the corner of her eye. He was full on staring at her with his body turned towards her.

"Is it safe for you to drive like that?"

"This is my first time doing it, but I've seen Rose do it. I can watch you and the road."

"As long as you're sure," she said turning in her seat to face him.

"I was wondering, are you doing anything Friday night?"

"Are you asking me out on our second date?" she teased.

"Yes I am," he said with a wide grin.

"You work fast, since technically we're still on our first one," she said with a smile.

"What do you say, dinner and a movie? Come on, you know you want to," he encouraged her.

"It's not like I have plans or anything," she said, rolling her eyes.

He slowed down to a snail's pace when he pulled onto her road. He reluctantly undid her harness and leaned over her to brush his fingers across her cheek. She closed her eyes, leaning into the touch. He pulled away after a few seconds with a sigh. She opened her eyes, giving him a questioning look.

"Your dad is watching us from the door," he said gesturing outside her window.

He got out of the jeep and walked around the front to open her door. He placed his hands on her hips to lift her out of the seat and let her go as soon as her feet hit the ground. He shut the door before waving at Charlie who was now standing on the porch. Emmett opened the driver's side door but didn't get in. He jogged around the front of the jeep again holding Bella's bag.

"You forgot this," he said handing it to her.

"Thanks," she said with a grateful smile.

Charlie waved as Emmett started the jeep and then put a hand on Bella's shoulder to lead her into the house.

"I got a call from the school today," he said as he shut the front door.

"You did?" she asked, her voice cracked.

"I'm going to let you off with a warning this time, but if you play hooky again I'm going to have to ground you," he said sternly.

"But I only missed one day, why would they call you?" she questioned.

"They're supposed to," he said giving her a pointed look.

"I missed four days of school last year because I had pneumonia before they called mom."

"You had pneumonia last year?" he asked, his voice raising an octave.

"It was just after Gran died. I spent a week in the hospital because I didn't realize how sick I was until I passed out a friend's house when I was spending the night with them. Mom had to pick me up and take to the hospital," she explained.

"How much school did you miss?"

"Two weeks, I think."

"They do things a little differently here, especially since I'm the police chief and when my kid doesn't show up for school like she's supposed to they should call me," he said, his voice returning to normal.

"You aren't mad are you?" she asked, biting her lip in concern.

"No. I played hooky once or twice when I was in school. I always ended up feeling guilty about it. I went and got your school work for you."

"What did you tell them?"

"What do you think I told them? I told them that you were sick," he said with a shrug.

"I am sorry."

"It's alright. What did you guys do all day?" he questioned.

"Not much, he showed me where he was from originally and we went hiking," she said as she sat at the table.

"Where is he from?"

"He grew up on Mount Rainer."

"No kidding? That's a nice place, a lot of good scenery."

"It was really pretty," she agreed.

"Are you two dating?"

"Would it be okay if we were?" she asked giving him a pleading look.

"I guess so. You could bring him around more often."

"I have a date with him on Friday. I'll ask him to come over before," she promised.

"Do you have any idea why Quil would be upset with you? Billy mentioned something while I was over there."

"Oh no," she groaned.

"What?"

"I was supposed to go the La Push basketball game on Saturday. I completely forgot," she said running her hands through her hair with a sigh.

"You might want to call him," Charlie said giving her an admonishing look.

"When will dinner be ready?"

"Another twenty minutes. I'll come and get you. Go," he said, pushing her gently out of the kitchen.

Bella shut her door before pulling her phone out of her bag. The phone rang three times before someone picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey Mae, its Bella, is Quil there?"

"Hold on. Quil, Bella's on the phone."

She could hear a muffled response before Mae came back on the line.

"He's doing his homework Hon. I'll have him call you later."

"Can you let him know that I am sorry for not being there when he needed me? I'm willing to do anything to make it up to him."

"Oh come on Quil, she's groveling. Get on the phone," Mae demanded.

The phone was passed and then there was a deep sigh.

"I really am sorry. I'll come to the next game."

"There won't be another one. Embry got us banned," he said darkly.

"How?" she asked with a laugh.

"Let's just say that he didn't find the commentary very informative so he made up his own and then dragged Jake and I into it when the principle asked him to leave."

"How much trouble did the three of you get into?"

"Besides being banished, nothing happened to Jake and me. Embry's grounded for three weeks though."

"Is there anything else that I can do?"

"You could go bowling with us on Friday. Eliska will be there."

"I already have plans on Friday, sorry."

"That's okay, maybe next weekend," he said with a sigh.

"Tell you what, I'll show up at school tomorrow and I'll see if I can talk to her."

"You would do that?"

"Isn't that what ex-girlfriend/friends are for?" she asked.

"Sure!" he said nonchalantly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with a light laugh.

"Bye Bells," he said with a sigh.

She closed her phone, hearing her dad coming up the stairs. He was at her door a few seconds later.

"Did you talk to Quil?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna go by his house after school tomorrow."

"That's fine. Come and eat," he said pushing away from the door.

That night as she lay in bed trying to fall asleep she heard something hit her window. She walked to the window to see Emmett standing underneath the window. She opened it and he scaled the tree. She moved back and he was able to swing through the window and land in her room soundlessly. She stared up at him with wide eyes.

"I wanted to tell you goodnight," he said pulling her to him.

"You could have called," she said with a scoff.

"Why would I do that when this is so much better?" he asked giving her lopsided grin.

"You're right, this is better," she agreed as she slid her arms around his neck.

"I'll be by here to get you at seven tomorrow morning."

"I can drive to school, I have plans after."

"I can drop you off here," he promised.

"You don't mind?"

"No," he said shaking his head.

"I'll see you in the morning," she said before hugging him.

"See you in the morning," he said before pressing his lips to her forehead lightly.

She pulled away and he was out the window and on the ground before she could close the window. He looked up at her and waved and she waved back before he took off down the street on foot. She was asleep less than five minutes later.


	9. Coming Out of Her Shell

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: Just to forewarn you, Bella does something that she doesn't normally do in this chapter. I thought that I would break her out of her mold. I always thought that she was too composed in the books.**

The truck was not made for sitting idle. There was a tarrying knocking that had Bella saying a silent prayer that she made it home with not trouble.

All of the doors to the school opened at once it seemed like. She killed the engine before getting out of the truck. She leaned against the front bumper, scanning the crowd for any sign of the boys.

After a few minutes Jacob and Embry came walking towards her with someone who looked vaguely familiar. She searched the person's face trying to remember the person. The three of them stood in front of her and she still couldn't place the boy.

"I know what you're thinking. 'He looks familiar.'" Jacob said only loud enough for her to hear.

Her eyes met his in question.

"Look again, it'll come to you," he encouraged.

She glanced at the boy again and he gave her a wide grin in recognition. He looked just like Harry Clearwater. Her dad had brought Harry with him the last time he had come to Arizona.

"Seth," she said, finally remembering his name.

"Yeah!" he said with enthusiasm.

"Do you need a ride home?"

"His mom doesn't like him taking rides from people she doesn't know," Embry acknowledged.

"My dad knows her," Seth said in defense.

She watched him again as he talked with Embry. His hair was short in the back, but it fell into his eyes making him shove it back every so often. His eyes were warm and welcoming like his dad's.

"Where's Quil?" Bella asked Jacob.

"He's usually one of the last people out. His locker is at the other end of the building," Jacob explained.

Quil emerged from the building a few minutes later. He was alone; but Bella noticed that he wasn't focused on the group waiting for him. Her eyes followed his to a few cars over. Eliska was putting her bag in her trunk and hadn't noticed Quil.

Bella took her in, wanting to gauge her reaction to someone who she didn't know coming up to her. She took a chance and walked the short distance while Eliska unlocked her car.

"Excuse me?" Bella said to get her attention.

Eliska looked up at her, pushing her shoulder length dark brown curly hair out of her eyes.

"Do I know you?" Eliska asked cautiously.

"You know a friend of mine, Quil Atearra?" she offered.

Eliska nodded; her body tense. 'She must not be used to people she doesn't know talking to her at all. Maybe this was a mistake.' Bella thought.

"Did you need something?" Eliska asked, breaking Bella from her thoughts.

"Quil mentioned you. He said that he's tried talking to you a few times but you've brushed him off. He thought that it would help if I tried to talk to you."

"Why?" she asked in confusion.

"Well, the thing is, he likes you. He just doesn't know how to talk to you."

"Why you though? Why isn't Jake or Embry talking to me?"

"I'm his ex-girlfriend. I know him in ways that Jake and Embry don't. He's a nice guy, he's funny and if you do decide to date him, he will treat you with respect; which is a lot better than some guys I know."

"Quil likes me?" she asked credulously.

"Yes, he does. So please stop ignoring him, he's miserable."

Eliska dug through her purse and pulled out a gum wrapper and a pen. She wrote something on the wrapper before holding it out for Bella to take.

"Tell him to call me tonight. I can have calls until ten thirty," she said when Bella took the paper.

"I'll let him know," Bella reassured her.

"Can I ask you a couple of questions?"

"Sure."

"What's your name?"

"It's Bella."

"Well, Bella, if Quil is such a great guy why aren't the two of you still together?" she enquired.

"We decided that we were better off as friends. He was also upfront and honest, he likes you more," Bella said honestly.

Eliska nodded, her face showing no emotion before opening her car door. Bella turned to walk back to the boys seeing Quil watching her nervously. She gave him a reassuring look and his facial features relaxed, relieved. Bella handed him the wrapper and his eyes widened in surprise.

"She says that she can have calls until ten thirty."

"Thank you," Quil said with a sigh of relief.

"You're welcome," she said putting a hand on his shoulder.

"We should go. If I'm not home in five minutes my mom is going to come looking for me," Embry said.

"How long are grounded for?" Bella asked.

"Two lousy weeks," he said with a sigh.

Bella got into the cab while all four boys jumped into the back. She saw Paul and Jared watching them as she pulled out of the parking lot. Less than two minutes later she pulled up in front of Embry's. Embry jumped over the side first then helped Seth over.

Harry waved both arms over his head in greeting from next door and Bella waved back with a smile. The ride to Jake's took less than a minute. The boys jumped over the side, Jacob casting a look over his shoulder when Bella didn't turn off the truck. She rolled down her window halfway so that he could talk to her.

"You aren't staying?" he asked.

"I have a date tonight. I have to get home and get ready. Plus, I have to make dinner. I'll come over Sunday," she promised.

Jacob nodded before throwing a wave over his shoulder. Quil hung back, leaning against her door.

"I appreciate what you did," he said gratefully.

"Don't mention it. I was glad to help," she said politely.

"You're dating Emmett?" he asked.

"I wouldn't say that, it's only one date. He's coming over for dinner and then we're going to the movies," she explained.

"Let him know if he messes things up I'll kick his ass," he warned.

"I'll let him know," she said with a laugh, imagining the situation.

Emmett wouldn't take Quil's threat to heart because he could have Quil on his back with one gentle push. She knew that it would never happen, so she had no reason to worry. Quil pushed away from the truck and Bella rolled up her window before pulling out of the yard. She was glad that things weren't weird between them now that they weren't together. Neither had wanted to define their relationship, but technically they had been boyfriend and girlfriend.

XXXX

Bella was searching through her closet for a shirt to wear when she heard the front door open. She glanced at her alarm clock, noticing that it was only five. Her dad wasn't due to be home for another two hours and Emmett wasn't supposed to be there until seven thirty.

She pulled on the first shirt she could find from the floor before walking into the hall. She slammed into Emmett, nearly falling over. She stared up at him, thankful that he had caught her. He gave her a lazy smile that reached his eyes.

"You're early," she said, finding her voice.

"I couldn't wait any longer. Is that what you're wearing tonight?" he mused, fingering the strap of her shirt.

She looked down to see that she was wearing the only cami she owned. It was white with lace around the trim and hem and it was cut so low that her breasts were threatening to spill out.

"No," she said discerningly.

"That's a shame," he said mournfully.

"It's too cold," she reasoned.

"Then maybe you should change, before it's ripped to shreds because I would like to see you wear it again," he said sullenly.

She pulled away from him, making her way back to the room. He followed her, sitting on the bed while she searched for something to wear. She held up a slate blue long sleeved V-neck shirt inspecting it. She draped it over the back of her computer chair. She picked up a white button down shirt next.

"I'd go with the blue shirt, I like it," he offered.

"That's because I can wear it over my cami," she teased.

"That's right," he agreed with a playful smile.

She pulled on the shirt then came to stand in front of him. He wrapped his arms around her waist before lying down. She lay on top of him, her hair falling around them. One of his hands rested at the top of her jeans at her back while the other ventured up her stomach to stop just below her breasts.

His eyes bore into hers, watching her reaction to his touch. Her eyes fluttered closed a smile tugging at her lips as he hooked his thumbs into her belt loops. His hands came to rest on her hips with a sigh. She opened her eyes, searching his.

"What's wrong?"

"This is as close as it's ever going to get for us," he said tensely.

"This was a test?" she questioned.

"No. If things go farther there's no telling what damage I can cause."

"I know that you won't hurt me," she said, putting a hand on his arm.

"I wouldn't be able to stop myself. I would never be able to live with myself if I hurt you," he said intensely.

Bella let the subject drop; not wanting to ruin the moment. His hands were still on her hips as she changed the subject. They talked about her family and the Cullen's. He mentioned that Esme wanted to meet her and she promised to go and see her soon.

"She wants you to come over for dinner tomorrow night."

Her eyes widened in surprise at the thought of going to his house. She knew that Rosalie and Jasper didn't think very much of her and Edward thought that she wasn't good enough for Emmett.

"You don't want to," he rationalized.

"It's not that," she disagreed.

"Then what?" he ventured.

"Alice is the only one who likes me. God only knows what your brothers and Rosalie have told your parent's about me," she said, panicked.

"Carlisle does like you, he told me so himself. Esme on the other hand is known for forming her own opinion."

"So the others have told her about me?"

"Yes, I have since set them straight. Please say that you'll come," he pleaded.

"I can't say no when you give me that look," she said, laughing lightly.

He smiled broadly as she shook her head. She really couldn't say no to him if she tried. Even if the situation made her uncomfortable he would be there, so she would face him family with no complaints.

She looked over her shoulder to look at the clock. An hour had passed without her realizing it. She hadn't even taken anything out for dinner. She pulled away from him to run a hand through her hair.

"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up behind her.

"My dad will be home in less than forty five minutes. I haven't even taken out anything to cook."

"So order something," he reasoned.

"I don't have any money."

"I'll pay for it. It's the least I can do since I have to pretend to eat it."

"Why don't you eat human food? I've been wondering about that."

"The temptation is too great. The smell of humans is all over it."

"You could make it yourself," she reasoned.

"It's easier to do things the way we've always done them."

"What if I made you something?" she questioned.

"Would you?" he asked, his eyes flashing with curiosity.

"Sure. What would you want?"

"I've never had pizza," he said sheepishly.

"I'm offering to make you dinner, and you want pizza?" she asked, amused.

"Yes," he said with a quick nod.

"Come over Monday night and I'll make you pizza. Right now I need to call the diner," she said reaching for her phone.

Emmett watched her for the entire time that she was on the phone. Once she was off the phone he stood.

"Your dad will be here in a few minutes. I'll be back in ten minutes," he said as he stood in front of her.

"You can stay. He's not going to care."

"I want to do this right," he argued with a shake of his head.

"I'll see you in ten minutes," she mumbled.

"I'll miss you too," he said endearingly.

He kissed her forehead before taking off down the hall. He was out the front door before she got to the top of the stairs. Charlie came home as she was clearing off the table. He came into the kitchen to look at her with confusion.

"Is Emmett not coming over after all?" he asked as she grabbed plates from the cupboard.

"Yes," she answered with a laugh.

"Then where is dinner?"

"I was on the computer doing some research for a science project and I lost track of time. I had to call the diner and have dinner delivered. I got you a steak and peach cobbler, don't worry," she reassured him.

Emmett's headlights shined in the kitchen window before Charlie could respond. He let him in before going upstairs. Emmett stood in the arch way of the kitchen giving Bella an easy smile. She returned it as she continued to set the table.

Charlie came back downstairs and stopped next to Emmett. He clamped a hand on Emmett's shoulder good naturedly.

"How do you feel about hockey Emmett?"

"I watch it sometimes," Emmett confirmed.

"There's a game on. We can watch it until the food gets here if you want," Charlie offered.

"We could," Emmett agreed.

The game was turned on and there wasn't much talking while Bella got the two of them something to drink. She brought her dad a beer and Emmett let his hand linger on hers before taking the bottle of water from her.

Someone knocked on the door making Bella break the contact.

"That's probably Harry and Seth," Charlie observed.

"Why didn't you tell me that they were coming? I would have ordered more food," Bella said.

"Because they bring their own," Charlie called over his shoulder.

She let Harry and Seth in and Harry stopped Seth from going into the living room. Emmett looked over his shoulder in confusion until his eyes met Harry's.

"Seth, why don't you come in here with me?" Bella offered.

"But-" Seth started to protest.

"I promised your mom that you would get your homework done if I let you come. Go on," Harry said sternly.

"Yes Sir," Seth grumbled as his shoulders sagged.

"He'll be fine. I'll help him if he needs it until I leave," Bella reassured Harry.

"Thanks Bella, I appreciate it," Harry said appreciatively.

Seth worked on his homework silently for ten minutes before the food came. Emmett came in to bring Charlie his food while Bella got him another beer. Seth was digging through the McDonald's bag that he had carried in with one hand while he wrote with the other.

"You can eat in the living room if you want," Bella said to Emmett.

"I don't mind eating in here," he said with a shake of his head.

Bella handed him a plate overflowing with fries and a hamburger before grabbing her salad. Emmett sat across from Seth who was scarfing down a chicken sandwich while Bella sat in between them.

Seth finished his homework before he finished eating. He looked across the table finally noticing Emmett. His eyes widened in surprise as he swallowed the last of his sandwich.

"Hi," Emmett said with a polite smile once he swallowed a mouthful of French fries.

"How tall are you?" Seth questioned.

"Seth, that's not polite," Bella admonished.

"It's okay. I'm six five."

"Wow, you're taller than my dad," Seth said in wonder.

"My dad was almost seven foot tall," Emmett said with a chuckle.

"How much do you weigh?"

"Two forty."

"Do you play football? I wanted to this year, but my mom wouldn't let me. She thinks I'm too small," he scoffed before rolling his eyes.

"I don't play sports," Emmett said with a shake of his head.

"Bells, you might want to get going if you want to be home by midnight," Charlie reminded her.

Emmett looked down at his watch while Bella cleared there plates. She came to stand behind Seth, grabbing her jacket from the back of his chair. Once she had her jacket on she placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You know that this is Seth so I don't have to tell you his name. Seth, this is Emmett."

"Is he your boyfriend?" Seth asked, tilting his head to look at her.

"Seth, don't be so nosy," Harry corrected him from the living room.

"It's okay Sir. Yes Seth, Bella is my girlfriend."

"Can I tell Jared?" Seth asked hopefully.

"You've got to be kidding me," Bella groaned.

"Go ahead and tell him," Emmett said with a smile.

"I only saw him once," she marveled.

"You made an impression on him. You're all he has talked about for weeks."

"I was dating Quil at the time," she said in wonder.

"We should go. It was nice meeting you Seth," Emmett said politely.

"You too," Seth said enthusiastically.

Bella stood in the foyer looking into the living room. Charlie and Harry were engrossed in the game. She said goodbye to both of them before opening the door.

"Have fun," Charlie called before she walked onto the porch.

Emmett helped her down the icy stairs before she noticed the black Audi in the driveway.

"Where's the Jeep?"

"I thought that you would want to be able to get in and out without drawing attention to yourself."

"Let's go and get the Jeep before we head into town."

"As you wish," he said with a wide grin.

The soulful voice of Etta James filled the car once he started it. Bella appreciated the fact that he wanted to make things easier for her but she hadn't expected him to go out of his way.

Emmett turned onto a tree lined lane ten minutes later. She noticed that he had done the speed limit for once. Probably so she could remember how to get her when she wanted to.

The trees thinned out after a few minutes and she saw a three story steel and glass house looming ahead. The house looked to be at least three stories. Every light on the bottom floor was on it seemed.

He pulled up to a three car garage before pushing a button on his visor. Carlisle and Edward were leaning over Edward's Volvo with their sleeves rolled up when he pulled the car in between Edward's car and the Jeep.

Emmett got out and was around to Bella's side before she could unbuckle her seat belt. He opened the door for her then held out a hand for her to take. She took his hand giving him a gracious smile.

"Do you want to get in now or wait?"

"I can wait," she said with a nod.

He squeezed her hand before letting go. Carlisle looked over the hood of the car giving her a kind smile.

"I heard you're coming to dinner tomorrow night."

"Yes Sir," she confirmed.

"Please, call me Carlisle," he offered.

"Why did the two of you come back here?" Edward questioned.

"I wanted to take the Jeep."

"You like that monstrosity? I think that you're the only person besides Emmett that does," Carlisle teased.

"Whose car is this?"

"It's mine," Carlisle said as he wiped his hands on a rag.

Rosalie came out from underneath the car making Bella step back to give her room. She hadn't noticed her when they came in.

"I warned him that he was overdoing it when he asked to borrow it. I'm glad that you were honest with him," Carlisle said still smiling.

"I'm very honest and straight forward. I don't need a fancy car to be impressed by him."

"I was hoping that you would say that," Carlisle said with a wink.

Emmett came out of the house twirling his keys around a finger. Bella's eyes met his as he walked down the stairs then crossed the room. He took hold of her hand once more as Edward shut the hood of his car.

"You kids have a good time," Carlisle called over his shoulder as he walked up the stairs behind Edward and Rosalie.

He opened the door of the Jeep before she wrapped an arm around his neck. He placed her in the seat ease before strapping her in. She had figured out how the harness worked after watching him twice but she wasn't about to tell him that. She liked the feel of his hands on her while he strapped her in.

The talked with the radio turned down low for the entire drive to Port Angeles. He pulled up in front of the pier leading to the beach without a word.

Even though it wasn't raining for a change, the weather was still cold and the wind whipped around them. He took her hand once more before leading her up the stairs.

There was a vender selling coffee at the top of the ramp next to the stairs and Emmett stopped to buy Bella a drink. They sat on a bench facing away from the wind a few minutes later.

"Is there any reason why you brought me here?"

"It's my third favorite place in Washington. You can see nothing but ocean for miles. It's peaceful," he said with a shrug.

"It does have a nice view," she said as she nodded in agreement.

"I figured that we could hang out here until the movie starts."

"You know, you don't talk or act your age," she teased.

"I don't act like an eighteen year old?"

"You're eighty something stuck in an eighteen year olds body. Edward is two decades older than you and he talks like my grandparents."

Emmett threw his head back in laughter as she stared him curiously. After a few minutes he composed himself.

"Not all of us choose to talk like that. I made the decision early on to not do that," he explained with a teasing smile.

"I'm glad that you don't; because to be honest, Edward freaks me out when he does it. He comes across as snobbish and uptight."

"You aren't far off. He came from money and his parents sent him to the best schools in Chicago. His demeanor carried over into the immortal life. He's only like that because his defenses are up. Once he realizes that you aren't going anywhere he'll come around."

"I hope so," she said unsurely.

He draped an arm over her shoulders and she leaned against him. His scent filled her nose and she smiled into his neck. He smelled like a mix of the outdoors and subtle hints of cologne and the same almond scented shampoo that her dad used.

She kissed the corner of his jaw lightly before he shifted his body to face her. She met his imploring eyes with a shy smile. His thumbs brushed over her hips slowly and she kissed the pads of each. He let out a strangled groan before pulling his hands from her face.

"Did I do something wrong?" she asked, hurt.

"No, you're doing everything right. Do you have any idea what you're doing to me?" he asked, pained.

"Why don't you tell me," she encouraged.

"Every time we're together I have to remind myself that I can never lose control. You make me forget everything Carlisle warned me not to do."

"I do?" she asked in intrigue.

"Yes, you do," he said firmly.

"I'd apologize, but I wouldn't mean it."

"I'd be offended if you did," he said huskily.

She laughed lightly before placing her head on his shoulder. She was glad that she had given him a chance. She could be herself around him which didn't happen with just anyone. The only other person she felt that way about was Jacob.

XXXX

Emmett had been gracious enough to let Bella pick the movie they would see. She had neglected to tell him that she had gone to see it its opening weekend with Angela and Jessica. It would give them a chance to focus on each other and not on his family or her friends for a change.

The theater was only half full when they came in. Bella led Emmett up to the top of the balcony and into its darkest corner.

"Are you sure that you want to sit here?" he asked, perplexed.

"I'm positive," she confirmed.

He took the seat against the wall and she proceeded to lift up the arm res. She closed the space between them as he draped an over her shoulders.

Once the previews started Bella turned her upper body towards his.

"What are you doing?" he asked quickly.

"You may not be able to go too far with me; but there is nothing stopping me from pushing some boundaries," she whispered in his ear.

She leaned in to place a gentle kiss behind his ear. She felt him relax against her as she moved herself into his lap.

"You're not playing fair," he said, giving her an even look.

"Who said I was playing?" she countered.

She placed her hands on his chest; her fingers were warm against his cold body. Her fingers undid the first two buttons of his shirt while he shrugged off his jacket. Her fingers brushed over the indents at the hollow of his neck before leaning in. She kissed either side of his Adam's apple and his moan of approval vibrated through her body.

He placed his hands on her hips as she moved lower. Her hands pulled his shirt out of his jeans then she went in for the kill. She had wanted her hands on him since her first day of school. She couldn't get enough of him.

"If you keep going you are going to get us in trouble," he warned.

"How?" she mumbled into his neck.

"Because I like what you are doing too much to be quiet for much longer,"

"Then you'll just have to control yourself," she said dismissively.

"Look who's talking," he said with a throaty laugh.

She pulled away to put her forehead to his. She racked a hand through her hair feeling her heartbeat thunder in her ears. Pleasing a guy in a movie theater; however deserted it was, was not her. What had gotten into her?

"I told you that I would make you do things that you wouldn't normally do," he said reading her mind.

"I know you did. Did I even get a rise out of you?" she asked.

"You have no idea," he said, his lips forming a thin line.

"Thank you for stopping me, I don't know what came over me," she said bashfully.

"It's my sexual magnetism," he boasted.

"That must be it. I had this all planned out, I was going to be smooth and coy and then it all went out the window," she said with a sigh.

"If I were alive you would be the death of me," he muttered.

"Do you care to explain what that is supposed to mean?"

"You have no idea how desirable you are. I can name ten guys from our school alone who would give up a vital organ to be me right now," he said with a shake of his head.

"Ten?" she asked with wide eyes.

"There could be more, I would have to ask Edward," he said, his eyebrows furrowed together.

"How would he know?"

"I'll explain another time. Since you aren't interested in the movie, do you want to leave?"

"I've seen this already, I planned it that way," she said bashfully.

He chuckled with a shake of his head. She stood then took his hand once he stood up. They were in the Jeep a few minutes later. He pressed a button on the dashboard before letting down the middle seat. He pulled her to the back as a section of the roof moved away to give them a view of the cloudless sky. He lay down with an arm behind his head and she placed her head on his shoulder.

She spent the next two hours pointing out constellations to him and explaining their stories. Once she was done she realized that he had been silent for most of the time. She turned her head, giving him a worried look.

"Am I boring you?"

"Not in the least. Your voice is hypnotizing," he said with an easy smile.

She smiled shyly content to just sit with him in silence. She had never been the type to be comfortable with long silences, but with Emmett she felt that she hardly had to talk at all. He understood what she was saying without her having to say a word.

"We should head back, it's after eleven," he announced.

She nodded in agreement before climbing back into the front seat. He moved to harness her in but she stopped him with a shake of her head. He started the Jeep then took hold of the hand closest to him, threading his fingers in hers. She relaxed against the seat with a content smile. She had only been on three dates in her life but this was by far the one that she would remember for the rest of her life. Everything about it had been perfect.

Emmett pulled in her driveway with ten minutes to spare. Charlie had left the front porch light on for her before going to bed. She turned towards him at the same time he turned towards her.

"Thank you for tonight. I had a nice time," she said with a smile.

"You're welcome. I had a good time too,"

"Can you help me down?" she asked with a nervous smile.

"Sure," he said opening his door.

She draped her arms around his neck and he kept his hands at her waist once she was on the ground.

"I wish that you could kiss me," she said with a sigh.

"Me too," he said with a sad smile.

She hugged him tightly, not wanting to let go. He pulled her from him after a minute before stepping away. She rifled through her purse for her keys as she walked up the stairs. She looked over her shoulder after unlocking the door to see him standing where she had left him. He waited until her bedroom light came on before getting in the Jeep.

He knew that he shouldn't be as happy as he was, but he couldn't help it. He was breaking the most important rule vampire law and he didn't care. If somehow someone found out and came looking for him he would face them head on to protect Bella. There was nothing that could make him change the way he felt about her. After waiting patiently for sixty years, his chance at happiness had come, and he wasn't going to let anyone get in the way.


	10. Light Years From Ordinary

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

**AN: This is the infamous chapter where Bella goes to the Cullen's for the first time. I have wanted to write one of these since I started writing ****Twilight fiction. I hope all of you like it.**

Bella sighed in frustration as she looked for a place to turn the truck around. She had missed the turnoff to Emmett's for a third time. Her phone rang as she found a driveway large enough for her to fit the truck in and turn around. She picked it up glancing at it out of the corner of her eye. Emmett's name flashed across the screen making her heave a huge sigh of relief.

"Hey," she said, keeping her eyes on the road.

"Are you almost here?"

"I'm lost," she grumbled.

"Where are you?" he asked with a light chuckle.

"I'm on Wheelers Pond Road."

"Have you passed mile marker four sixty yet?"

"No, I just passed White Oak subdivision."

"The marker should be a quarter of a mile ahead on your right," he explained.

"Is that where I turn?"

"No, you'll figure out where you are in just a minute."

"I see the marker," she said with a sigh of relief.

"Take the bend of the road up ahead as slow as you can," he warned.

"Why?" she asked as she slowed to make the turn.

Emmett was standing at the turnoff when she rounded the bend. He shut his phone as she slowed to let him in. They were silent for the five minute drive through the forest. Like the last time she had been there every light was on, calling out like a beacon from a light house to welcome her. Since it wasn't yet dusk she had a chance to take in the house.

It was made of steel and windows surrounded the house instead of walls. She could see Carlisle in the living room when the truck finally came to a stop. The front door opened and Alice flitted down the stairs, her feet barely touching the ground. She stopped at Bella's door, ignoring Emmett's venomous glare.

"My mother would like to meet you," she said with a warm smile.

"I can introduce her to Esme, Alice," Emmett retorted.

"I was put in charge of keeping you in line tonight Mister. So no funny business," she said once her eyes met his.

She gave him a blank look before turning her attention back to Bella.

"Shall we?" Alice offered, gesturing to the house.

"Sure," Bella said with a quick nod.

Emmett took hold of Bella's hand, pulling her to him. Alice looked over her shoulder, giving him a warning look. He gave her an innocent look before rolling his eyes. He lifted his free hand to make the signal of a boy scout over his chest. Alice nodded her approval as they walked into the house.

"Okay big guy, you're going to have to let go of her. Mom said that she wanted to meet Bella without you," Alice said, giving him an apologetic look.

He let go of Bella begrudgingly before walking into the living room. Carlisle nodded in greeting before Bella followed Alice down an immense hallway. Pictures of the Cullen children lined the walls. The pictures expanded a century at least. She saw a few of Carlisle and Esme on their wedding day and also Edward and Rosalie on theirs.

"Are you and Jasper not married?" Bella wondered out loud.

"No, he hasn't asked me, yet," she said with a pout.

"I'm sure he will someday. It's obvious that he cares a great deal for you," Bella assured her.

"That's why I keep him around," Alice said in a singsong voice.

Bella smiled, glad that she felt comfortable enough to ask such a personal question. They walked through a door at the end of the hall and stepped into the kitchen. Esme stood at the stove stirring a pot while Rosalie was at the island chopping vegetables for a salad. Esme looked over her shoulder, her eyes brightening at the sight of Bella. She wiped her hands on a dish towel before making her way across the room. It was almost as if she were gliding on air. She pulled Bella in for a hug and the smell of gardenia's enveloped Bella like a blanket.

"Hello Bella," Esme said with a warm smile.

"Mrs. Cullen," Bella said politely.

"Please, call me Esme. I've heard so much about you that I feel like I know you already," she said.

"Emmett and Alice have told me about you as well."

"I didn't think that I was ever going to get a chance to meet you," Esme said as she led Bella to the island.

Bella sat at the opposite end from Rosalie. Not even Rosalie's silence could ruin the moment. Bella knew that Rosalie didn't think very highly of her, even though Bella had done nothing to earn her distaste. If things got worse she would talk to her about why she didn't like her.

"Don't let Rosie scare you off. She has promised to be on her best behavior tonight," Alice reassured Bella.

"I don't like that she has been giving you a hard time," Esme said, giving Rosalie a reprimanding look.

"Can't someone voice their opinion without getting chastised around here anymore?" Rosalie asked.

"Bella did nothing to earn your distaste in her. Emmett wouldn't be with her if he didn't think that she was worthy of his affections," Alice argued.

"You'll have to excuse her behavior. She and Edward were raised differently than the rest of us when they were human," Esme said, turning her attention back to Bella.

"Its fine, nothing she has ever said has offended me."

"I can if you'd like," Rosalie said with a frigid smile.

"Okay, I've heard enough. It's time that I come in and referee," Carlisle said, pushing open the door.

Rosalie went back to what she was doing, her eyes cast down. Carlisle went to the stove, picking up the spoon to test what Bella realized was a red sauce of some sort.

"I hope you like Italian," Esme said with a smile.

Bella nodded encouragingly, watching as Carlisle dropped spaghetti noodles into a pot. Edward came in and walked to a cabinet to pull down dishes. He went about setting a table that expanded nearly the entire length of the room. Alice put a hand on Bella's shoulder to get her attention.

"How about I show you where to find Emmett while we finish dinner?" she offered.

"That would be great," Bella said with a light laugh.

Bella followed Alice back down the long hallway, looking again at the pictures on the wall. She found one of Emmett kneeling on one knee in front a tree, his hands on his knees, he was looking at the camera from underneath his eyelashes and he had a serene smile. He was wearing a white button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up and black slacks. A grey newsboy cap rounded out the outfit. Even though the photo was black and white it didn't hide the fact that his uncovered skin was glistening like facets of a diamond in the sun.

Alice stopped a few feet ahead of her. She looked over her shoulder to look at Bella endearingly. The picture was her favorite of Emmett. Jasper had been lucky to get the picture just as the sun was lowering over Emmett's left shoulder. He looked almost ethereal.

"I can just tell you where to go. His room is on the third floor-"

"There's no need to do that Alice," Emmett said from the end of the hall.

Bella looked over Alice's shoulder to see him standing in the foyer. Alice moved aside so that Bella could walk to him and he held out a hand for her to take. He led her upstairs stopping at different pictures to explain their meanings. They came across a board of fabric and Bella stared at it, trying to decipher what it was. A smile tugged at her lips when she realized what it was.

"Graduation caps?" she asked, looking at Emmett out of the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, we've accumulated a lot of them," he said with a sheepish smile.

Bella nodded, letting him pull her to the next floor. His door was open as they came to it. His room was bare, but modestly furnished. A black and chrome desk fit into a corner with a laptop open on it. Her eyes paused on the computer, seeing a picture of her. She wasn't looking at the computer so she knew that the person had taken it without her knowing. Where had it come from?

"Where did you get that picture of me?" she asked quizzically.

"Alice took it when we weren't talking. I should have told you," he apologized.

"Now I want one of you for my computer."

"That can be arranged," he said with a smile.

She took in the room slowly. There was a black leather couch along the far wall and a shelf that held a state of the art sound system, and there was a large flat screen TV overtop of it. The room was void of books.

"Do you not read?"

"I do, but not that often."

"Who's your favorite author?"

"Emerson."

"Emerson? You read poetry?" she asked, impressed.

"You're the only person outside of my family who knows," he answered, giving her an even look.

"You're secret is safe with me," she said with a wink.

"Who's your favorite author?"

"Like you, I like the classics. Bronte, Hemmingway, Shakespeare, Austin…I could go on."

"I read Shakespeare, Edward shoved him down my throat until I caved. He's not so bad."

"What's your favorite?"

"Julius Caesar. What about you?"

"I've always been partial Romeo and Juliet."

"It's good that we're talking like this, you trust me enough to let your guard down."

"I do tend to keep to myself. Kudos to you for sticking it out," she teased.

He laughed heartily as he crossed the few feet to stand in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her and she looked up at him expectantly.

"Look at us, we couldn't be more different yet more alike if we tried," he observed.

"That's why we work so well."

He nodded in agreement as she laid her head on his chest. He placed his chin on top of her head, content to let silence fall between them. He couldn't believe that she had come to the house. There were times when he thought that things wouldn't work out between them. Looking back now, he didn't know why he had worried so much.

XXXX

Alice came to tell them that dinner was ready an hour after they had gone upstairs. The smell of garlic and tomatoes wafted up the stairs as they made their way back downstairs. In the kitchen there was only one place setting at the one end of the table and there were candles spread throughout the room. Bella looked up at Emmett in confusion.

"They wanted us to have some time alone," he explained.

"They did this for us? That is so nice," she said in awe.

He pulled out her chair for her then walked to the stove and came back with a plate of salad. She ate quietly, used to being the only one to eat. He cleared her plate before she could put her fork down once she was done. He placed another plate piled high with spaghetti and garlic bread. She looked at the plate with wide eyes.

"Do you plan on fattening me up and cooking me in the oven?"

"You're too pretty to be Gretel," he said with a teasing smile.

"Hansel and Gretel was my favorite story when I was little," she said with a shy smile.

"Mine too," he agreed.

Once she was done he mentioned that there was desert if she wanted it.

"I cannot eat one more bite," she said in protest.

"Then you can take it home with you along with everything else."

"What?" she asked with a nervous laugh.

"We aren't going to eat it, we thought that you could share it with your dad," he rationalized.

She nodded in understanding as he cleared her plate. He went about cleaning the kitchen, putting the extra food in containers and then he loaded the dishwasher.

"This is the first time that the dishwasher has been used," he said with an amused smile.

"I'm glad that I could christen it."

Carlisle came into the room, clearing his throat to get their attention. They both looked at him in confusion.

"I was wondering if I could talk to Bella, alone," he broached.

"Sure," Bella agreed.

Bella followed him to the top floor which was his office. The room expanded the entire floor. One wall alone was devoted to pictures. Country sides, castles, farm houses, pictures of animals, no picture was exactly alike. He sat at the desk which was in the center of the room and he gestured for her to sit down across from him. She sat down, wondering what he had to say.

"I wanted to explain a few things to you. Things that Emmett would not be able to," he started.

"Alright," she said with a nod.

"I came here from Italy in the sixteen hundreds, I'm not originally from there but where I am originally from is not of importance right now. The reason I am telling you this is so that you are fully aware of what you are getting yourself into."

"Okay," she said slowly.

"I was changed by accident. The vampire who sired me meant to kill me but he wasn't able to finish the job. I won't go into details but the process is gruesome and terrifying. I tried to fight what I was; I even tried to kill myself thinking that would put an end to my misery. I eventually found people who I thought were like me. Yes, they were vampires but they did not have the same views that I had," he explained before standing.

He walked to the wall of pictures with his hands clasped behind his back. Bella followed him with her eyes, wondering what would happen next.

"Do you see this picture?" he asked gesturing to the largest picture of all.

She stood to stand next to him so that she could get a better look at the picture. The picture depicted a room full of people. At first glance all of them looked completely normal but her eyes drifted to a man hunched over on the floor, his arms stretched out in front of him. The three men in front of him sat on thrones. One turned his head, looking away from the man. Another looked positively bored, like he didn't want to be there. But the man in the middle scared her; he looked like he was enjoying what was happening.

"The three men sitting down are the lawmakers of my kind. All of the people that you see are the most ruthless, most cunning vampires known to lore."

"You were one of them?"

"That is me, in the top right corner," he said gesturing to a point in the picture.

She listened to him tell a story of how he had never wanted to be like them and he had eventually left out of shame. He made the decision to live life on his own terms. He was not going to let someone else dictate what he could and could not do. There were other vampires like the Cullen's, just not that many of them.

"I think we have an eaves dropper," he said with a smile.

Bella looked to the door to see Emmett push it open.

"It's almost time for her to go home."

"I'll let the two of you have some time alone."

Emmett came into the room to sit in Carlisle's chair at the desk. He propped his feet up on the desk and rested his hands behind his head. She smiled, before shaking her head. He motioned with his head for her to sit with him and she slowly made her way across the room. She sat on the desk within reach of him. She placed a hand on his leg as he gently rocked back and forth in the chair.

"Thank you for inviting me over tonight," she said.

"It was my mom's idea, I just went along with it," he said with a shrug.

"Well, thank you none the less," she said with a pleased smile.

"Thank you for coming."

"You're welcome," she said rubbing his knee.

He closed his eyes, lost in the feeling of her touch. She lost track of time and before she knew it she only had ten minutes before she had to be home. She said goodbye to everyone quickly and Emmett followed her out to the truck. He would drive her home so that she wasn't late.

At her house he opened her door for her then pinned her against the door once it was closed.

"What are you doing? I'm going to be late," she said in protest.

"Your dad is already asleep. He'll never know if you were a few minutes late. I want a proper goodbye."

"I can't give you a proper goodbye, you know that," she said sadly.

"I'll take what I can get," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist.

She laid her head on his shoulder, burying her face in his neck. She breathed in his scent, wondering how she had ever managed to get through her day before she had met him. Her mom had explained to her what love felt like when she was younger. From what she knew she had fallen for him not long after meeting him. Why couldn't she tell him? What was she afraid of? Her parent's problems were only part of the problem. She had plans and goals for her life. She didn't want to be tied down. Now she found herself wanting things that she had never thought she would want. She pulled away with a sigh. He looked down at her in confusion.

"I should go inside," she said just above a whisper.

"What's wrong?"

"As soon as I think I've got everything figured out you make me realize that I have no clue what I am doing," she said with a groan.

"You're in love. I can tell you whatever you want to know," he said with a smile.

"How can you be so at ease?" she asked, awestruck.

"I am not at ease. I'm just better at dealing with it than you are," he said running a hand through her hair.

She laughed shakily before pulling away from him. He reluctantly let her go, watching her as she walked up the walk. She looked over her shoulder as she opened the door. She waved over her shoulder before walking into the house. He pushed away from the truck and headed for home, thoughts of her swirled through his mind as he raced through the woods.

Alice and Edward were waiting for him in the living room when he came in. He shook his head, silently daring them to push him. He settled on the couch in his room with a magazine but closed it five minutes later. He paced his room until he heard everyone else settled down for the night. He looked at his watch realizing that it was only midnight. He had to get out of the house or he was going to drive them all crazy. He could not seem to get his mind off of Bella.

He stalked down the stairs to be met at the door by Edward.

"Whatever you're going to do it's a bad idea," he warned.

"I think that he should go see her," Alice chimed in.

"What if Charlie wakes up? What if she wakes up and you scare her half to death?"

"I don't see either of those things happening," Alice interjected.

Emmett gave his brother a condescending look before throwing open the door. He traced his steps back to Bella's scaling the tree outside her room and silently opening the window. He sat next to her on the bed facing, not jarring the bed as he sat down. He took in her sleeping features sentimentally. He should have done this a long time ago. Carlisle had given him permission to come over while she slept weeks ago. He didn't know how he had managed to hold out as long as he had.

He placed a gentle hand on her exposed shoulder, not wanting to wake her. She flinched under his touch and he quickly pulled his hand away. He watched her with wide eyes as she turned over in her sleep. He let out a sigh of relief, immediately regretting it. Bella's eyes fluttered open before she sat up on her elbows.

"What are you doing here?" she asked her voice thick with sleep.

"I missed you," he answered honestly.

"How long have you been here?"

"Long enough to blow my cover," he muttered.

"I wasn't talking in my sleep was I?"

"No why?"

"I was dreaming about you," she said with a dreamy smile.

"What was I doing?"

"You mean we if I tell you it won't happen."

"Was it something that we do all the time?"

"No, we've never done what I dreamed about before," she said with a shake of her head.

"It's going to bug me until I figure it out," he said, his face a mask of concentration.

"Tell you what, if it happens, I'll let you know," she bargained.

"You've got a deal."

"You missed me?" she asked, moving over to make room for him.

"I haven't been able to get you out of my head since I dropped you off," he said with a sigh.

She placed her head on his chest and draped an arm over his stomach. She was getting better at not thinking about how cold he was. Luckily this time there was a blanket and his clothes between them. He ran his fingers through her hair lazily before tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him.

"I want to try something. But you're going to need to stay still," he warned.

She rolled over on her stomach to support herself on her arms. He pushed her onto her back the leaned over her silently. He leaned down, stopping when his face was inches from hers. He gathered his confidence then brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Bella was still beneath him but not because she wanted to be. She didn't want to scare him off. He pulled away after a few seconds with a smile on his face.

She smiled back as he leaned down once more. This kiss was needier and lasted longer than the first. His hands were at her sides, gripping her shirt in his fists. She moaned against his lips making him pull away with a groan.

"Now that we know that we can do that I'm going to want to do it more often," he said huskily.

"Me too," she agreed wholeheartedly.

"Go back to sleep, maybe I'll get lucky and you'll start talking in your sleep," he said kissing her forehead.

He rolled off of her and she rolled over onto her stomach once more. She rested her head on his chest and he drew lazy circles on her back to lull her back to sleep. She was asleep within seconds and he contained his excitement. He couldn't believe that she had let him stay. He couldn't believe how wonderful it had felt to kiss her. It was more intense than anything he had ever known. He was going to be careful and made a vow never to take her for granted. It was a vow he would keep until the end of the world.


	11. House Rules

**Disclaimer:**

**Emmett: Donna does not own Twilight. I am a figment of Stephenie Meyer's imagination. Donna just wishes that she had been smart enough to create me.**

Everything changed after Bella went to Emmett's. Things started happening that wouldn't have normally happened to her. Good things, exciting things. When she came home from Emmett's on Saturday night she found a letter from her mom on the kitchen table. Inside was a money order for two hundred dollars. She knew that her mom didn't have that kind of money, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She would use the money to buy the things she would need to make Emmett dinner.

She was cleaning out her truck on Sunday afternoon when she found a twenty dollar bill jammed underneath the passenger seat. She knew that it wasn't hers so she called Billy to tell him what had happened. He had told her that she could keep it as long as she used it to put gas in it and she promised to make him strawberry rhubarb pie.

She woke up on Monday morning with a bounce in her step, something else that wasn't normal. Normally she trudged through the beginning of the week. She was up before her alarm clock went off and was downstairs making pancakes when Charlie came down at seven thirty.

"What's with you?" he asked groggily.

"Why are you up? I was going to put this stuff in the stove and leave a note for you," she asked with her hands on her hips.

"I smelt coffee and couldn't go back to sleep, since I'm up it wouldn't hurt to eat," he said shuffling into the kitchen.

Bella set a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausage in front of him a few minutes later. He dove in like he hadn't eaten in days.

"You never answered my question," he said in between chewing.

"I wanted to say thank you for letting Emmett come over for dinner."

"Any word about if the boys can come over? I remember you saying that you were going to ask them."

"Embry is still grounded, Billy says that he needs Jake at home tonight and Quil has to work."

"Make sure to make extra so that we can take them some," he suggested.

"I planned on it," she said with a nod.

"Do you need money for all the stuff that you need to buy?"

"Nope, the money that mom sent me should cover it."

Emmett pulled into the drive way a little before eight as Bella was washing the dishes. Charlie headed back upstairs as she gathered her things.

"Sleep good," she said before kissing his cheek quickly.

"Have a good day," he murmured from the top of the stairs.

She took the stairs two at a time then locked the door after her before turning to walk down the walkway. Edward's car sat in the driveway. Emmett was standing by the back passenger door and he opened it for her once she had made it to him. She gave him a confused look and he gave her one that said that he would explain later in return. Bella slid into the car silently and Edward turned in his seat to greet her. He gave her a tense smile and she smiled warmly back. She was going to be nice; she would not let him get under her skin.

Emmett slid across the seat to drape an arm over the back of the seat. She turned her head to smile at him and he captured her lips in a light kiss.

"Morning, Beautiful," he greeted.

"Morning," she said, still smiling.

She leaned against him and he rested his chin on her chin for the ride to school. Once at school Edward and Rosalie quickly got out of the car while Emmett kept a grip on Bella's shoulders.

"That kiss was pathetic, I demand a redo," he said before leaning once more.

He cupped her neck and one of hands rested on his chest. The kiss was gentle but urgent. He pulled away after a few seconds with a sigh.

"We have an audience."

"Since when has that ever stopped you from doing anything?"

"I was thinking of you, I know that you don't like people prying into your business."

"You're right, I don't. That doesn't mean that you can't kiss me in public," she said before brushing her lips to his quickly.

She opened her door and she stepped out and he slid out behind her. He slid an arm around her waist, pulling her to him. They walked past crowds of people staring at them, but she didn't notice. They could say whatever they wanted, she didn't care. At her locker he leaned against the locker next to hers watching her.

"Okay, it's time to explain why we rode to school with Edward and Rosalie," she said as she her locker.

"It was a test to see if they could be nice to you, he passed…sort of and she didn't even try."

"She was nice, she didn't even say anything. You don't have to put them through the ringer just so that they'll like me. Their opinion doesn't bother me," she said sincerely.

"Well it bothers me," he said outside her first class.

"We'll talk more about this later," she said giving him a stern look.

"Joy," he said with mock enthusiasm.

The rest of the day past with more stares and whispers hidden behind hands. Bella was not to let anyone bring her down from euphoria. At the end of the day she was making her way down the hall with Angela when someone she caught someone she didn't know staring at her.

"What is everyone's deal? Why is my having a boyfriend cause for a social media meltdown?"

"They're intrigued by the Cullen's. You broke into their inner circle without even trying. People are going to talk. Do you know that Lauren is telling people that you are pregnant?"

Bella's mouth fell open and air went down her wind pipe causing her to choke, getting the attention of everyone around them. Angela put a hand on her back to keep her from falling over.

"Why would she say something like that?" Bella asked when she had regained her composure.

"That's her theory for why Emmett chose you over the rest of us. He got you pregnant and now he feels obligated to be with you," Angela said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Oh, I'll set her straight," Bella seethed.

"I want you to know that I personally think that it was no one's business but yours and Emmett's. Everyone else can suck it," she said with a firm nod.

"I am so glad that I have you as a friend," Bella said with a breathy laugh.

"I may be the only you have for a while. Mike told Jessica that she shouldn't hang out with you, and she's taking it to heart. She's had a crush on him for three years. He didn't even start paying attention to her until you came to town."

"I don't know what has gotten into everybody. They act like they've never seen two people date before."

"The Cullen's are like celebrities, and you are the commoner who all of the other girls want to be yet they love to trash talk about."

"That explains it so well, thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you realize that we've had a five minute conversation and Emmett has not shown up yet?"

"That is a little strange," Bella agreed with a chuckle.

"I spoke too soon," she said gesturing down the hall.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Bella said over her shoulder.

"Yeah, uh huh, sure. Go see your boyfriend," Angela teased.

Bella grinned from ear to ear, stifling a laugh. Emmett was a few feet away from her when someone bumped into her. She recovered quickly, seeing Lauren a few feet away glaring daggers at her.

"What's with her?" he asked in concern.

"Don't know, don't care," she said loud enough for Lauren to hear.

"Let's go," he said taking her hand.

"Where have you been?"

"I went to get my Jeep. I didn't think that you would want to sit through uncomfortable silence again."

"How many times do I have to tell you that your brother's and sister's opinion of me doesn't matter?" she asked with a sigh.

"It bothers me. The two of them are out of line."

She kept silent, knowing that it was better to leave the subject alone. If he had a problem with his family than they needed to work it out sooner rather than later, because it would just get worse if they let it get out of hand.

XXXX

Emmett sat at the table watching Bella work at the counter. There wasn't a space on the counter that wasn't covered in flour. Bella was covered in flour from her fingertips to her elbows as she kneaded the dough. She had led the way through the specialty store while he pushed the cart. She had needed more than she thought. Her dad's grater was outdated and he didn't have a pizza pan. He didn't even have a mixing bowl. The money from her mom hadn't lasted long.

"I didn't realize that cooking was so messy," he said to get her attention.

She glowered at him over her shoulder before flicking flour at him. He laughed silently as she went back to back to work. He was content to just watch her. She was obviously in her element. Cooking made her happy the way that logging had when he had been alive. He smiled sadly, remembering a simpler time when he didn't have worry about letting a girl get too close to him without hurting her.

He had never resented Carlisle for changing him the way that Rosalie did nor had he rebelled the way that Edward had. Transforming from life to the next had been almost seamless for him. Yes, he did miss his family and his former wife, but he had quickly realized that he hadn't really lost much at all. The Cullen's were his family now.

"You're too quiet," Bella's voice broke through the silence.

"I was just thinking."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I was thinking about my life. How when one ended, I entered a new life without all of the trouble that most newborns have."

"Can you tell me what it's like to be a newborn vampire?"

"Not tonight. Soon, I promise," he vowed.

"I only asked so that I know what to expect," she said with a shrug.

"What?" he asked quizzically.

"I just figured that it might happen one day. I'm not getting any younger and I don't want to be asked why I am dating someone who is young enough to be my grandson one day," she explained.

"If you were changed it would start a war," he said trying to remain calm.

"What do you mean?" she asked, turning to face him.

"We have a treaty with the Quileute's; if it's broken they will attack without thinking twice."

"Then we could leave," she rationalized.

"How can you be so accepting? It's mind boggling," he said in wonder.

"I was raised to be nonjudgmental," she said with a shrug.

"You would give up everything to be with me?" he asked as he stood.

"You can't be the only one who has to make sacrifices," she whispered.

"You are too good to be true," he said with a breathy laugh.

"What if something happened to me? Would you change me then?"

"I would do everything in power to make sure that nothing ever happens to you. So we don't have to worry about that."

"But what if something did?" she prodded.

"Then my family will have to get used to their being one more of us," he promised.

He crossed the short distance to her, enveloping her in his arms before burying his face in her hair. Being close to her like this got easier with every passing day. Her scent was like a drug to him and he never wanted to forget anything about her. He couldn't believe that she would even think of becoming a vampire. Just once, he would like to see inside her head so that he knew what she thought of. Edward was growing more frustrated by the day; she had a wall up that he couldn't break through. It was about time that someone took him down a few notches.

XXXX

Bella sat across from Emmett, watching him devour half of a meat lover's pizza. He hadn't said a single word since she sat in front of him. Her nervousness melted away with every bite that he took. So far he had eaten four slices with no signs of stopping. Luckily she had one pizza cooling and another in the oven and she had extra dough for when she made a pizza for the boys.

Emmett ate four more slices before he finally sighed in relief. He grabbed a napkin from the holder in the center of the table and silently wiped his mouth. Bella watched him expectantly, waiting for his opinion.

"I have never had anything that tasted so good in my life, other than my mother's apple pie."

"I will gladly come in second after your mother," she said with a laugh.

"Is there more?"

"You want more?" she asked with wide eyes.

"To take home," he explained.

"Sure," she said with a nod and a laugh.

"Thank you for making me dinner," he said with an easy smile.

"You're welcome."

"It's almost ten, your dad should be home soon," he said as he looked over her shoulder to the clock.

"Will you come over tonight?"

"I promised Carlisle that I would stay with the girls while he, Edward and Jasper went hunting. They're going to be gone for a few days," he said with a shake of his head.

"Okay," she said with a nod.

They both stood from the table at the same time and Bella walked him to the door. He placed a finger underneath her chin tilting her head towards his. He leaned down to brush his lips to hers. His lips stayed on hers for a few seconds before pulling away. He gave her a crooked smile before opening the door.

Bella stood at the door until he pulled away. She fell against the door once she had shut it with a shaky laugh. She didn't know how she had managed to get his attention on her first day of school, but she was not going to test the fates. She knew not to ruin a good thing when she had it.

XXXX

Charlie was waiting in the living room when Bella came home the next afternoon. He called for her to come and sit with him, making her nervous. Charlie's inability to express his feelings had been passed down to her. She sat on the couch while he sat in the recliner a few feet away.

"Did Emmett decide not to stay today?"

"He has a lot of homework to get done tonight," she said with a shake of her head.

"School is important," Charlie agreed.

"I have a paper to write on Catcher in the Rye and then I have to make dinner, so if that was all you wanted, I'm going to go upstairs and get my homework done."

He put a hand up to stop her as she started to stand from the couch.

"I have a few things that I want to say," he explained.

"Okay."

"I feel that it's time that I set some ground rules for you. Now that you have a boyfriend, things are going to change around here. I don't mind Emmett coming over, but he can't stay past nine. The first time that he interferes with your school work he won't be allowed to come back over and you won't be allowed over to his house."

"I understand," Bella said with a nod.

"Also, I don't mind that he's here on the weekends, but the next time that he is, make sure that he doesn't eat us out of house and home."

"Emmett didn't do that. Jacob and Quil did," she said in defense.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? The two of them are as skinny as bean poles," he said giving her an even look.

"I swear it was. You can call Jake and ask."

"I'll take your word for it. But just make sure that Emmett doesn't ever do that."

"Is there anything else that you want to add?"

"No, that's all. Go start your homework," he said in dismissal.

She made her way upstairs hearing him walking around downstairs. She knew that rules were necessary and that she needed to follow them. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that Billy had been the one to tell Charlie that he needed to set some ground rules. She would do everything that Charlie asked; she would prove to him that she could responsible. Maybe than he would ease up and let Emmett stay later on the weekends.


	12. Late Night Talks and Decisions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

A month had passed without Bella realizing it. One day everyone was griping about exams coming up and it seemed like days later everyone was making plans for Spring Break. She had promised her mom that she would go and see her during her week off from school since Phil had finally signed on with an AA team out of Jacksonville. She had yet to Emmett but she was sure that he would understand.

Emmett had come over every night since the night that she went to his house for dinner. He would climb through her window silently and she would wake up at some point in the night only to have him kiss her temple and whisper for her to go back to sleep. She would nestle up close to him through the covers and fall back to sleep with her head buried in his neck. He would be gone by the time she woke up in the morning, but just knowing that he was there for even a little while helped her sleep at night.

On the nights that Charlie worked, Emmett would show up around the time that she would be getting ready for bed. He would run his fingers through her hair while he told her stories of his childhood until she fell asleep. She had honestly never been so content in her entire life. She fell deeper in love with him every day; he knew how she felt without her heaving to say the words. She would be able to tell him one day, he was patient.

Bella felt like there was nothing that bring her down or steal her joy. She wanted to shout from the rooftops how happy she was. These were feelings that she had never experienced before and it was finally sinking in that this was what love felt like. She never wanted it to end. She knew that things couldn't stay the way they were forever but she hoped that in time that her feelings for Emmett would grow stronger.

She was studying at the kitchen table while her dad watched a boxing match in the living room. Someone knocked on the door and when her dad didn't answer it after the second knock she crossed the room to the front door with a sigh. Jacob, Embry, Quil and Harry were all huddled together to keep dry under the overhang. She let them in before heading back into the kitchen.

The boys congregated in the kitchen, each of them sitting on the counter, talking quietly while she finished studying. She heaved a sigh of relief when she slammed her text book shut. She was glad to have that out of the way. The boys then moved to the table, Jacob sitting in Charlie's chair while Embry and Quil sat on the table.

"Get down, you know my dad doesn't like it when you two do that," she said pushing Embry off the table.

"It's not our fault that your table is prehistoric. It's even older than Jake's kitchen table," Quil grumbled.

"Maybe you guys should buy some more chairs," Embry said with a shrug.

"Do you want to cough up the money or should Quil?" Jacob asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Shut up," Quil said before swapping him upside the head.

"At least you have a seat," Embry grumbled.

"Do you have anything to eat around here?" Quil asked rummaging through the pantry.

"I thought that you all ate before you came over."

"We did, now I'm hungry again," he said moving to the cabinet next to the stove.

"There might be some stuff to make a sandwich with in the fridge. I haven't had a chance to go shopping."

Quil made himself a sandwich quietly while Jacob watched Bella. Something had changed about her. He had noticed it as soon as he came in. She hadn't been down to the Reservation in a few weeks so the only time he had seen her was when he came over with his dad. She looked happier than he had seen her in months. He guessed being in a relationship did that to people. He wouldn't know since he had never had a girlfriend. Whatever the reason, he was glad that she was doing better.

"What have the three of you been up to? I haven't seen you guys in a while."

"That's what happens when you get a boyfriend. You forget about your friends," Quil said as he made his way back to the table.

"Like you have room to talk! 'I wonder what Eliska's doing. Do you think she's thinking about me?' Gag," Embry said with an exaggerated eye roll.

Jacob and Bella laughed as they tossed insults back and forth.

"Seriously, is he treating you right? As the closest thing to a little brother that you're going to get I have feel it is my duty to talk to him and set some ground rules. Because if he hurts you I will kick his ass," Jacob said with worry.

"You have nothing to worry about. Things are great, I've never been so happy," she said with a lopsided smile.

"My dad is still saying that you shouldn't be with him. I think that if you trust him than he must not be so bad."

"He's wonderful. Thanks for caring though."

Jacob nodded before Quil changed the subject. The boys filed out of the room to watch the end of the boxing match while Bella started cleaning up the mess from her and Charlie's dinner. She was touched that Jacob cared so much. She considered herself lucky to have a friend like him. He was the younger sibling that she had wanted as a child. He may have come into her life a little late but she wasn't going to complain.

XXXX

Emmett had felt a sense of foreboding all afternoon. Alice and Edward were conspicuously absent, which let him know that they were avoiding him. His fears were confirmed when Carlisle came home early and Esme, Jasper and Rosalie went hunting without them.

Emmett found Carlisle in his office after putting off going to talk to him for over an hour. Carlisle waved him in and gestured for him to sit down across from him at the desk while he finished a phone call. He looked over Emmett in concern, his eyebrows furrowed.

"If you have something to tell me it would be best to just come out with it," Emmett said with a sigh.

"Your mother and Alice overheard a couple of girls talking about you and Bella the other day. People are starting to suspect things. I won't be able to hold my façade at the hospital much longer before someone realizes that my records have falsified."

"I don't care what some girls from my school are saying about Bella and I Carlisle. What goes on between Bella and I is our business. I have been careful as to not draw attention to Bella. None could possibly find out that we aren't human. And I think that your job is safe for at least another year. All I am asking is for you to not make any drastic decisions until next June," Emmett pleaded.

"I don't think we have that long," Carlisle said with a shake of his head.

"Well then until this June, it's only two months away."

"What are you suggesting?"

"I am asking you to wait to leave until I graduate. I can find a place to live for a year until Bella graduates, and then we'll meet up with the rest of you."

"What if she doesn't want to leave?" Carlisle asked skeptically.

"We've talked about it and she wants to become one of us at some point. It's a little sooner than I would have liked but I'll deal with it."

Carlisle nodded; his face grim. He agreed, even if he didn't like it. Emmett sighed in relief to know that he at least had Carlisle on his side. He knew that Esme and Alice would also be on his side. Jasper would take some convincing but given time he would see that there was no other choice. Either Bella left with them or he lost the closest thing that he'd had to a brother since he had been changed. Edward would side with Rosalie because their stories were so similar. Neither had chosen to live this life and had fought against it for the first years of their immortal lives.

Emmett was in his room when Alice stuck her head in. He gave her a stern look and she gave him one of helplessness in return.

"Carlisle asked us not to say anything. But I am glad that you were honest and straightforward with him. Don't worry about Jasper, he'll be just fine. Edward and Rosalie will see that you are right before Bella is changed…Oops, I said too much," she said impishly.

"Don't worry about it. Come here," he said opening his arms to her.

She crossed the room to sit in his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder, feeling the tension ease from his body.

"Just so you know, I would do the same thing you are planning on doing if the tables were turned," she murmured into his neck.

He tightened his grip on her in response before resting his head on her shoulder. She had a calming effect on him. He knew that she had meant what she had said. She had always been honest with him even when the others weren't. They didn't give her the credit that she deserved.

XXXX

Try as he might Emmett always woke Bella up when he got into bed with her. Tonight was no different. She turned her head to give him a sleepy smile before sighing.

"Go back to sleep," he said settling down next to her.

She rolled over her side and pulled an arm from underneath the cover to drape it over his stomach before doing what he asked. He kissed her temple gently and she lifted her head to look at him.

"Is something wrong?" she asked; her voice thick with sleep.

"Something was wrong earlier, it's been worked out. You don't need to worry," he reassured her.

"What was wrong?"

"Go back to sleep," he repeated soothingly.

"Tell me what was wrong," she said, opening her eyes.

"Carlisle thinks that we will have to leave soon. I've told him that I am waiting for you and he accepts that," he said before placing a hand over her eyes.

She closed them with a sigh before settling against him.

"I would walk to the ends of the earth for you Isabella Swan," he murmured into her hair.

She smiled into his neck, content. She had been pressing for him to talk to Carlisle about her joining the family and now that he had she was relieved. His family accepted her; that meant almost as much as Emmett's feelings for her did. Things were going to be fine.

**AN: I have made the decision to keep James, Victoria and Laurent out of the story****. I ****promise you that I will have everything worked out in my head and you will not miss them.**


	13. Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.**

Bella stood at the ticket counter while her dad checked her bag in. She didn't like that her dad had banned Emmett from coming with them but she had allowed it because she and Emmett had said their goodbyes that morning before he left. The airline had lost her ticket and now they were scrambling to find her a seat on the flight. Bella drummed her fingers on the counter anxiously as the young girl behind the counter quickly tapped at the keys on her laptop.

"I've found you a seat. It's in first class, but since this was our fault you'll be upgraded for free," The girl reassured her.

"She'd better be," Charlie countered.

"Again, I am so sorry for the mix up," she said handing Bella her ticket.

"Thanks," Bella said as nicely as she could.

Bella led the way through the clogged airport to the escalators. Her nerves finally settled down once they reached her gate. The doors were still shut but she wasn't the first person there. Charlie had decided to wait with her until her flight was called. They sat facing the tarmac, watching the plane that would take her to Florida come in. Its passengers filtered into the airport, and workers could be seen fueling the plane and doing a preflight check.

Half an hour later someone called for the passengers to board the plane and Bella stood, turning to Charlie. He hugged her quickly before pulling away.

"I'll see you in a week," she said, shouldering her computer bag.

"Long enough for me to adjust to being a bachelor again and then you'll be back and my hopes will be dashed again," he teased.

"I cooked enough meals to last you until I get back."

"You take such good care of me," he said with a lazy smile.

"Don't let the boys eat everything, because if they do…I'll beat them down," she warned.

"I would love to see that happen," he said with a laugh.

"Okay, so I'll have Emmett do it, but it would be entertaining," she agreed.

"Go get in line," he said nudging her shoulder.

She was the second person on the plane and was grateful to find out she had a center aisle, end seat. She was glad that she would have to climb over other people to get out of her seat if she needed to.

The flight attendants went through the preflight rules and soon Bella was buckling in. She pulled down the tray that was attached to the seat in front of her and placed her computer on it. She shoved her iPod buds in her ears and set the volume on low before plugging in her wireless router. She tuned out the flight and soon one of the attendants tapped on her shoulder to ask if she wanted something to eat or drink.

Her dad had told her to milk being in first class for all that it was worth since it would be free. She asked for something to drink and some peanuts. Once she had her drink and peanuts she turned off her computer and waited for the inflight movie to start. She got lost in the movie and before she knew it the plane was landing in Miami. She hadn't even gotten to see how the movie ended.

As she walked through the doors at the airport she heard a high pitched squeal. She smiled, fighting the urge to laugh. Renee was standing a hundred feet away, waving her arms over her head. Bella crossed the distance between them and Renee quickly pulled her in for a hug, nearly crushing her.

"Can't, breathe," Bella choked out.

"Oh! Sorry," Renee said quickly.

Renee pulled away, taking Bella in. She clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

"What?"

"You're finally growing into your boobs, and I've missed you so much," she said sadly.

"My boobs look different?" Bella asked in concern.

"More round, a little bigger, it's a good thing. I was afraid that you were going to be flat chested, like me."

Laughter bubbled up in Bella's chest and her whole body shook with laughter. Her mom's bluntness and openness had been two things that she had missed about her. Renee smiled endearingly before brushing Bella's hair behind her ear.

They made their way to the baggage claim arm in arm as Renee explained that they were meeting Phil at the baseball field. In the car they caught each other up on the other's life.

"You have a boyfriend?! Why didn't you tell me? You have better brought pictures!" Renee exclaimed excitedly.

"I brought tons of pictures and not just of Emmett. I went a little camera happy."

"What is he like?"

"He's really nice, and funny, and sarcastic. He makes me laugh."

"That's good, but what is he like?" she said emphasizing the word like.

"He's tall, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. He's also built like a meat locker."

"Does he play sports? Is he a loner? Is he indie, gothic? Is his dad single?"

"He doesn't play sports, he's more of a leader, he isn't indie and he couldn't be farther from gothic if he tried, his adoptive father is married."

"How does you dad feel about this?"

"He likes Emmett."

"Well, I guess if Charlie likes him, he must not be so bad."

At the ball field Phil's practice was wrapping up and he met then at the car. He hugged Bella as she got out of the car so that she could give him the front seat.

"It's good to see you," he said with a pleasant smile.

"You too," she said with a nod.

At the condo Bella settled into her room while Phil made dinner. She had offered to help but he had told her that she was off kitchen duty while she was there. He and Renee had been taking cooking lessons and they wanted to show off what they had learned. She texted her dad and Emmett to let them know that she had gotten in and her phone buzzed a minute later, it was Emmett.

_I miss you._

_I miss you too._

_Florida is only a two hour jog down the coast if you want me there._

_As tempting as that sounds you should go hunting with your brothers like you promised them you would._

She looked up once she shut her phone to see her mom standing at the door. Renee crossed the room to sit next to her on the bed. She smoothed down the quilt before placing a hand on Bella's.

"I am so happy that you are here. Things haven't been the same without you," Renee said endearingly.

"I know the feeling. It took me a little while to adjust to living with Dad."

"How's he doing?"

"He's good, still as silent as ever. Things are good right now."

"You aren't going to have your phone glued to your hand the entire time are you? I wanted to spend time with you," Renee said with a pout.

"I promise not to become attached to my phone."

"I had my first boyfriend when I was your age so I remember what it was like. I would spend hours on the phone talking to him, and I would have him over or go to his house whenever I could. I lost myself in the relationship and I also lost a few friends in the process."

"I'm not that bad, not yet. I have a solid group of friends," she reassured her mom.

"You said that you had brought pictures for me to see."

Bella dug through her duffle bag until she found her photo album. She sat it on the bed behind them and Renee turned to stare at it with wide eyes. The album was the size of a thin, flimsy binder.

"Almost every page is filled."

"You weren't kidding when you said that you went camera happy," she marveled.

Bella opened the book and the first pictures were a couple of Charlie and Harry and a few of Jacob and the boys.

"That has to be Jacob, he looks just like Billy. What a cutie!" Renee gushed as she pointed to Jacob then Embry.

"That's Embry, he's shy, and the other is Quil."

"Why isn't Emmett one of the first pictures in here?"

"He has his own section, ten pages."

"Ten pages, huh?" Renee teased.

"He's very photogenic, leave me alone," Bella said with a light laugh.

"He sounds like he would be from the way you described him."

Bella turned the page and Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle filled both pages.

"This is Emmett's family, minus the oldest of his younger sister's and his youngest brother."

"Are they all adopted?"

"Yeah, Alice and Edward are fraternal twins," she said, remembering that was the explanation the explanation that the family gave most outsiders.

"There all so good looking," Renee said in fascination.

"You should see Edward and Rosalie, he could be a model and she is beyond beautiful."

"Do they not like having their pictures taken?"

"Not necessarily, it more like they don't care for me."

"Oh, they don't? Well, I'm just going to have to give the two of them a call. Who do they think they are?" she asked credulously.

Bella smiled as she turned the page again. The next few pages were of her friends from school. She told Renee a little something about each one before they came to a section regulated for Jacob.

"You do like taking pictures of him," Renee observed.

"He's a ham. He begged me to take half of them."

"He's very handsome, in a rugged way," she thought out loud.

"His looks do help him get what he wants."

"There isn't going on between the two of you?"

"No. He's practically my brother!"

"I said the same thing about your dad when I was your age. You came along four years later," she said as she ran her fingers through Bella's hair.

"Mom, I do not like Jake in that way," she said as she turned the page again.

Renee's mouth fell open and she stared down at a picture of Emmett. Bella had asked Esme to make her a copy of the black and white picture of Emmett that Bella had seen on her first trip to the Cullen house, with his cap pulled low on his head, exposing only one cast down eye. His smile reached his eyes, exposing his deep dimples, making Bella's heart melt.

"That's Emmett."

"Holy cow," Renee murmured in astonishment.

"He gets that reaction a lot."

"It's no wonder you only have non-committal feelings for Jacob. Why would you want a boy when you've got a man? Look at that smile, that's a smile that can get him trouble and also get him everything he wants," she said in wonder.

"He does use it to his advantage more than I would like."

"He is absolutely gorgeous. If the brother that doesn't like you is model material, what do you call him?"

"Every girl's dream," Bella mused.

"Amen," Renee said in agreement.

"He'll be happy to know that you like him."

Phil called them for dinner and Bella put the binder back into her bag before leaving the room. Renee was telling Phil about the pictures when she sat down to dinner.

"Mom, Emmett's looks don't matter to me. What's on the inside is what drew me to him."

"Do you really mean that?" Phil asked.

"Yes, he's such a good hearted person. He cares so much about his family and he's intense. He's smart and funny, he's sweet," Bella said with a wistful smile.

"He sounds like he's a good guy," Phil answered.

"He's more than I deserve. He's the best."

Phil changed the subject, knowing that Bella didn't like talking about her personal life. They talked about the upcoming baseball season and the fact that he would be gone for three quarters of the summer.

"That reminds me, we'll be in Seattle around July the fourth. We can get you and Emmett tickets," Phil said.

"His family does a lot of camping in the summer. I'll have to get back to you on that."

"Let me know," he said with a nod.

She thought that it was nice that her mom and Phil wanted to get to know Emmett. It meant a lot to her that they were willing to accept him as part of her life. It gave her hope that nothing would be able to break their bond.

XXXX

Emmett stood in the clearing as rain came down in sheaths, pelting him in the face. Jasper and Edward stood on either side of him, waiting for a chance to spring on the next unsuspecting animal. He was growing tired of the game that they were playing. Edward had an advantage over the other two and he used it every chance he could. He had killed three deer to Jasper's two and Emmett's one. What was the point of making a wager if Edward was going to cheat?

"Don't be a spoil sport Emmett, I'll let you have the next one," Edward said, reading his thoughts.

"Do not chide me," Emmett threatened.

"Enough. I hear something," Jasper said to break up the argument.

Emmett reigned in his anger, focusing his senses on the forest around him. Not only did he hear something, but he smelled something as well.

"It's probably just a stray dog. Hey Edward, why don't you go after it? I bet you won't be able to catch it," Emmett chortled.

"I don't think it's a dog, I can hear its thoughts," Edward said in a strained tone.

"What are they saying?" Jasper asked.

"They come in peace. They want to talk to us," Edward reassured them.

"How many are there?" Emmett questioned.

"Three."

"At least we won't be outnumbered," Jasper said logically.

They waited for the three unknown figures to show themselves. The noise they were making was not human. They were not prepared for what they saw. Three wolves that stood as tall as Emmett came out of the clearing opposite them. They stopped a football field's length away.

"I thought Carlisle said that they no longer existed," Jasper said under his breath.

"The black one wants us to know that there are no more like them. And that they only mean to pass along a message,"

"What's the message?"

"Someone from their tribe has asked them to take care of a girl; they do not know her name. Their elder thinks that the girl is in grave danger because of us."

"Bella isn't in any danger," Emmett said with a shake of his head.

"How does their tribe know about you Emmett? What have you been keeping from us?" Edward accused.

"I've met a couple of Bella's friends and one of Charlie's. They live on the reservation."

"That friend of Charlie's is the Chief of the damn tribe Emmett!" Edward exploded.

"I mean no harm to Bella, I assure you. I was not out of line when I met Billy, I was cordial. I even helped him get back to his truck. Why would he do this?" Emmett wondered out loud.

"Because we are their enemies Emmett, it doesn't matter how nice you were to the man," Jasper reasoned.

"They want us to know that they will be keeping watch of Bella. If something happens to her or we step out of line then the treaty will be broken."

"That's not part of the deal," Emmett argued.

"Apparently Billy has been in contact with Carlisle and he has agreed. Do you see what you have done Emmett? Do you see what you have started?" Edward seethed.

"He cannot help who he loves Edward, no more than you or I can," Jasper said calmly.

"I promise, no harm will come to Bella. That is the last thing that I want."

"They say that if you really mean that than you will leave her be."

"No," Emmett said firmly.

"I knew something like this would happen. Nothing good can come from this Emmett," Edward warned.

The wolves turned to walk back the way they came single file, with the largest, the black wolf leading the way.

"Why would Carlisle agree?" Emmett pondered.

"He was probably left with no choice," Jasper reasoned.

"I am going to say this one last time Emmett; please, listen to me if you know what is good for you and for the sake of our family. End things with Bella."

"You cannot make him. You know that she is destined to become one of us. You've seen it yourself," Jasper said in Emmett's defense.

"And things can be changed. This will not end well."

"You are not in charge Edward. You do not get to call the shots. I'm going home," Emmett said, turning on his heel.

He charged through the woods, running faster than he had ever run before. He wanted answers and he was not going to relent until he got them. How could Carlisle agree to change the treaty without talking to him first? Was that the reason why Edward had been so adamant on wanting Emmett and Jasper to go with him? Emmett had a hard time believing that Carlisle would agree to something without talking with the family first.

He didn't slow down until the house came into sight. Alice met him at the door with a helpless look. He gave her a pointed one in return.

"I didn't see it until it was too late. I'm so sorry."

"So it's true?"

"We'll be leaving once you and Rosalie graduate. Carlisle let Billy know that you will stay here and protect Bella, once she graduates she'll be free to leave."

Emmett nodded as the door opened behind them. Carlisle stepped out and Alice went into the house, shutting the door behind her.

"I'm sorry that it has come to this. I did not have a choice."

"I don't understand why they would change the treaty. I have done nothing out of order."

"I know you haven't. They are just taking precautions to make sure that one of us is not created on their watch. How many are there?"

"There are three; a black one, a tan one and a grey one."

"Do you promise to join us once Bella is free to leave?"

"I promise, I would never desert any of you," Emmett vowed.

"That's what I was hoping you would say," Carlisle said with a pleased smile.

He clapped a hand on Emmett's shoulder before going inside. Edward's car pulled up a few feet from the stairs and Emmett turned his back on Edward as he got out of the car. He went to his room, his door shutting with a thump before he started pacing. How was he going to break this to Bella? She was going to feel like it was her fault, he just knew it. He would do everything possible to make her see that it wasn't. He was just glad that things hadn't escalated in the woods. It could have ended badly for everyone involved if a fight had broken out. He would have to be more careful and work harder to keep Bella out of danger.


	14. Need to KNow Basis

**Disclaimer:**

**Jasper: Donna does not own Twilight y'all. But she is the author of this story, so please don't steal it.**

Renee had been reluctant to let Bella leave. She felt that she should have more time with her. Bella had stayed an extra two days because she had felt bad about the situation. At the airport on Tuesday Renee blubbered for over an hour. Phil had reassured her that everything would be fine before she got on the plane while Renee dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

Once the plane touched down in Seattle she was the first person off the plane. She looked for her dad in the crowd, discouraged when she didn't see him. Someone wrapped their arms around her waist lifting her off the ground suddenly making her yelp in surprise. That was most definitely not Charlie. She looked over her shoulder in surprise to see a curtain of black hair beneath a grey knitted cap.

"Jake, put me down," she said with a laugh.

"Aww, you're no fun," he said with a chuckle.

"Jake, she asked you to put her down," Billy said sternly.

Jacob put her down and she turned to face him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her tightly.

"I missed you too," she said into his hair.

"I know, right? I haven't seen you in what, three weeks?"

"God, it feels longer than that," she said with a sigh.

"Tell me about it," he muttered as they made their way to Billy, Embry, and Quil.

"Welcome home Bells," Billy said, smiling warmly.

"Thanks Billy. Where's my dad?"

"He wasn't able to get off from work."

Bella nodded in understanding as the five of them made their way through the airport.

"So, how's your mom doing?" Billy asked once they were in a car that Bella didn't know.

"She's good. She asked me a hundred questions about all of you, she wanted know everything. She has a crush on you by the way," she said nudging Embry's side with her elbow.

"Is she a hot mom?" Quil asked.

"Jeeze, Quil!" Billy said, with a laugh.

"I don't know, I don't think of her like that, she's my mom," Bella said with a shrug.

The conversation was then turned to what she had done while she was in Florida.

"Mom and I went orange picking and she found out that Antonio Banderas was there, so we spent an entire afternoon trying to find him. It was hilarious. My mom went bananas."

"I bet; did you ever find him?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, he was really nice. Mom and I went to the beach every day. It did not rain once the entire time that I was there."

"We had a hurricane come through town a few days ago. Your dad has been working on the cleanup crew on top of pulling his shifts at the station. I've never seen him work so hard," Billy said with a shake of his head.

"This is going to sound dumb, but whose car is this?"

"It's Leah Clearwater's. She left it home while she's away at college. Harry lets me use it when I have to lug these three around. Do you remember Leah?"

"Vaguely, didn't she egg and teepee your truck once?"

"Yes she did. God, I haven't thought about that in years," Billy said with a chuckle.

They stopped halfway between Seattle and Forks to get lunch and Jacob and Embry talked nonstop, filling Bella in on everything that she had missed.

"How are you and Eliska doing? You haven't mentioned her in a while," she asked Quil who had been silent for most of the day.

"We're okay," he said with a nod.

"She's been talking to her ex. Quil thinks that she's going to break up with him," Jacob said in between shoving onion rings into his mouth.

"I do not," Quil said in exasperation.

"He's just jealous that we have girlfriends and he doesn't," Embry said with a laugh.

"You have a girlfriend?" Bella asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"He ran into your friend Angela from school on the beach. Our little boy is in serious like," Quil teased.

"So what if I am?" Embry asked, chucking his dirty napkin at him.

Bella shook her head with a smile. She was happy that Embry had found a girl that he liked. She had thought that Angela liked Eric but maybe she had tired of him giving her the runaround. She would need to talk to her.

"Do you have any plans tonight?" Billy asked Bella.

"I'm making dinner for Emmett," she answered before taking a sip of her drink.

Everyone was silent and she looked between the four of them in confusion. Billy pushed away from the table, grabbing the check before pushing his way down the aisle to the cash register.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked, confronting the boys.

"He's just meddling where he doesn't belong. You're like a daughter to him and he doesn't think that Emmett is right for you," Jacob said, waving a hand to let her know to brush it off.

Bella watched Billy cautiously. She knew that he meant well, but his aversion for Emmett was a little intense. She shoved her plate away, her appetite lost. Something had happened, but what?

XXXX

Carlisle had never been the type of person to be stern or lay down rules. The Cullen children had all had free reign since they had been changed. They were free to come and go as they pleased, but he was glad that they chose to stay and keep the family united. He knew that Esme and Alice would have trouble leaving without Emmett when the time came.

"You wanted to talk to me?" Edward said from the door of Carlisle's office.

"Sit down Edward," Carlisle said, gesturing to the seat across from him.

"Is something the matter?"

"I'm a reasonable man, don't you think so?"

"Yes Sir," Edward answered with a nod.

"I've always let you and brothers and sisters speak your minds, haven't I?"

"Yes."

"Why did you intentionally seek out to hurt your brother?"

"I am the last person that wants to see someone innocent get hurt. Emmett is just much of a liability as Bella is. Why are Rosalie and I the only ones who see that?"

"Emmett knows what he is doing and he is taking every precaution possible to ensure that nothing happens to Bella."

"Is he? So, splitting the family up is the right thing to do?" Edward asked cautiously.

"It is temporary and once he is back with us, Bella will become one of us. You know that."

Edward nodded, knowing that Carlisle was right. He had to draw the line of protection somewhere.

"Emmett knows what he is doing, even if we don't all agree with it, can't you just go along with it for his sake?"

"Yes Sir," Edward said with a sigh.

"Good. Thank you," Carlisle said with a warm smile.

Edward walked to the door while Carlisle went back to work.

"Edward?" Carlisle called just before Edward walked out the door.

"Yes?"

"Apologize to your brother," he said sternly.

"Yes Sir."

Edward shut the door behind him deciding to seek out Emmett. It would be best to talk to him as soon as possible. He found him in his bedroom. He was buttoning a white dress shirt with his back turned to the door. Edward knocked lightly to get his attention. Emmett looked over his shoulder giving him an icy glare.

"I wanted to apologize for last Wednesday. I was out of line."

Emmett nodded, gathering his wallet and keys before brushing past Edward.

"Where are you headed?"

"Bella's making me dinner," he called over his shoulder.

"Have fun."

"I will," Emmett confirmed with a nod and an evil grin.

Edward pushed him gently before rolling his eyes. Emmett's laughter echoed through the house as he walked down the stairs. Carlisle had a point; it wouldn't kill him to be nicer to Bella. She hadn't done anything to make him distrust her. Alice and Jasper always told him that he worried too much. Maybe if he didn't know every little thing that people thought of him and of others, he would relax a little. The fact that he couldn't read Bella's mind baffled him. Why was she the exception to the rule? He couldn't understand it.

XXXX

Bella had invited Billy and the boys to stay for dinner claiming that Emmett wouldn't mind. Billy had begged off claiming that they had somewhere to be and the boys had looked at each other in confusion. Jacob shrugged in response to the silent question in Bella's eyes as they were pulling out of the driveway. She waited in the yard until the car was out of sight. Something wasn't right, she could feel it.

She pushed what had happened to the back of her mind once she was inside. She unpacked, biding time until she could call Emmett. She sent him a quick text to let him know that she was home and asked him to call her once school let out. She was surprised that Billy and Quil and Embry's mothers had let the boys miss school to come and get her. It had been a nice surprise. Her phone vibrated, letting her know that she had a text.

Forget calling you, I'm coming over.

She chuckled as she closed her phone. So Emmett had missed her just as much as she had missed him. Her mom had been full of questions about him and his family. She had made good on her promise and sent a scathing e-mail to Edward after Bella had gotten his e-mail address from Emmett. Emmett had called her with all the details, laughing at Edward's reaction and Rosalie's threat to 'set Renee straight'. Bella would love to see that happen. Renee might be flighty and scatterbrained, but she could take care of herself.

Bella looked at the clock, glad to find out that school would be letting out in less than half an hour. She headed downstairs to take out something for dinner. She didn't want to make as big of a deal as she had last time, but she still wanted it to be nice. She pulled her phone out of her pocket, pulling up Charlie's number.

"Hey Stranger," he greeted.

"Hey Dad," she said opening the freezer.

"When did you get home?"

"Half an hour ago, I was calling to see if you wanted anything specific for dinner."

"Is Emmett coming over?"

"Yes Sir."

"Shouldn't you ask him?"

"He'll eat whatever I make."

"There are some steaks in the freezer. I should be home by five. I'll cook those on the grill since it's supposed to be nice out."

"I'll take them out now."

"I'd appreciate it."

She talked to him for a few more minutes. She worried that Emmett wouldn't eat since Charlie would be the one making dinner. She'd talk to him about it later. She went into the living room, flopping down on the couch with a grunt. She grabbed the remote from the coffee table, watching TV to pass the time until Emmett got there. She got lost in Snooki & JWOWW, not hearing the front door open. Cool hands were placed on her shoulders and a pair of lips brushed her ear.

"Never leave me again, I beg of you," Emmett murmured.

Bella chuckled, turning her head to meet his. She brushed her lips to his in a feather light kiss, wanting to tease him. He gave her a stern look before pulling away from her. He climbed over the back of the couch, pulling her to him. She rested her head in the crook of his shoulder with a sigh. He hooked two fingers beneath her chin, lifting her face to meet his. His lips met hers in a gentle kiss which took her breath away. After a few seconds she pulled away with a content smile.

"I missed you," she said with a sigh.

"I would hope so," he said, digging his fingers into her side.

She giggled, squirming away from him. He pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He rested his chin on her shoulder, taking in her scent. The urge to be near her never seemed to go away. She was like a drug to him, her scent the most potent thing he had ever encountered. The overwhelming urge to drink her in was still there, but he had learned to control it. The inner battle had been won.

"I have to tell you something, but I don't want you to get upset," he broached.

"Okay," she said, watching Snooki and Jionni bicker back and forth about their unborn child.

Emmett took the remote from her, turning the TV off. He would need to have her full attention.

"Something happened while you were gone."

"What?"

"Billy has asked some of the boys from the Reservation to look after you. He thinks that being with me has made you a liability," he said with a sigh.

"A liability for what?" she asked cautiously

"He doesn't want you to be put in danger."

"How are these boys going to keep me out of danger any better than you can?"

"Do you remember when you told me the story about that Jacob told you about my family and his tribe?"

"Not that much," she said with a shrug.

"There are certain members of his tribe who are sworn to protect the rest of the tribe," he offered.

"Are you trying to tell me that werewolves actually exist?" she asked credulously.

"That's exactly what I am saying. You can't tell Jacob," he warned.

"What else happened?"

"Billy and Carlisle added a stipulation to the treaty that my family has made with tribe."

"There's a treaty?"

"If we change someone while we are in Washington, there would be a war between my family and the Quileute's. The new stipulation is that if you are put in danger in any way, a war will break out. My family has to leave in June, but I will be allowed to stay until you graduate next year."

"What will happen once I graduate?"

"I will join my family."

"What about me?" she asked, her eyebrows knitted in worry.

"I will not leave without you, don't worry," he said kissing her forehead.

"So I'll need to think of a valid reason to leave before then," she said solemnly.

He rubbed her arms, not wanting her to worry.

"I should get the steaks that I pulled out marinated. It's almost four," she said pulling away from him.

"Alice warned me that Charlie might be cooking."

"I can do it," she said with a shake of her head.

"How about I do it? My cooking skills are limited, but I do know how to cook a steak."

She nodded as she stood from the couch. She didn't like that Billy was interfering in her business. She would need to have a talk with him about keeping his nose out of her business.

Emmett watched Bella from the table, he had held out the information about Edward for a reason. Bella didn't need the added worry of Edward's attitude added onto everything else. He would handle Edward, just like he would handle Rosalie if she stepped out of line. So far, his sister had been silent about her displeasure around Bella, he hoped that she would keep it that way.

"What do you think I should tell my dad? That I've decided to go to college out of state?"

"That's not important, we'll worry about that later," he reassured her.

"These boys from the Rez, will I ever meet them?"

"It's possible. They'll be patrolling the house every night."

"What are their names? What do they look like?"

"I don't know their names Bells; you'll have to ask Billy. And they look like huge overgrown werewolves, trust me, you can't miss them," he said uncertainly.

"I just asked so that I know who to thank. I can't expect you to always watch after me, you have to hunt sometime," she said rationally.

She finished what she was doing before coming to sit in his lap. She pulled out her phone, deciding to call Billy and get it out of the way.

"Hey Bells, miss me already?" Billy teased.

"You know I do. I wanted to talk to you about something."

"Okay," he said kindly.

"Emmett told me about what happened while I was gone. I appreciate you're looking out for me, but you didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did," he said gravely.

"I wanted to say thank you to the boys in person the next time I come down, if you could give me their names I'll take care of it myself."

"That won't be a problem. Do you have a pen?"

She got up, digging through drawers until she found a pen and a piece of paper. Jared and Paul she knew but the name Sam Uley sounded familiar as well. She wracked her brain until it finally hit her. Sam was the guy that Jacob didn't care for. He seemed nice enough when she had met him, maybe Jacob was wrong.

"Is everything okay?" Emmett asked from behind her.

"Everything is fine," she reassured him.

"You think having three guys you don't know hanging in the wood around your house is fine?" he asked with a light laugh.

"That's just it; I've met all three of them."

Emmett gave her an unsure look as he heard Charlie pull up in the driveway. He grabbed the steaks from the counter, quickly walking out the back door. Charlie walked in taking his time in the foyer. When he finally came into the kitchen nearly ten minutes later he had showered and changed. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator before acknowledging her.

"Did you not invite Billy and the boys to stay for dinner?"

"I did, but Billy said that they had plans."

"Where are the steaks?"

"Emmett took them outside. He's got that taken care of."

"He didn't have to do that, he's a guest."

"I told him that, but he said that you and I deserved a break," she said with a pleasant smile.

"That's generous of him."

Emmett came back in after Charlie had gone into the living room. The Mariners were playing the Cubs in the first Mariners game of the season. Bella and Emmett could plan a murder and Charlie wouldn't have heard a thing. He sat at the table while Bella poked holes in a few potatoes before wrapping them in foil and throwing them in the oven. He grabbed her by the wrist as she passed him, pulling her into his lap.

"Do you want to tell me how you know the wolves already?"

"I didn't know that they were wolves at the time. One of them goes to school with Jake, Embry, and Quil while I met another when I went bowling with Quil. I met the third one when I went over to Quil's one afternoon," she explained with a shrug.

"So you don't know them that well?"

"Hardly at all," she said with a shake of her head.

He nodded, accepting her answer. He knew that she wouldn't purposely keep anything from him, but she had thrown him off when she said that she knew the wolves. He wrapped his arms around her waist after she leaned against him. They trusted one another, and that was what made their relationship work.

"Emmett?" Charlie called from the living room.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for starting dinner."

"You're welcome Charlie."

Emmett nudged Bella, tilting his head towards the counters. She looked, trying to find what he was looking at. Attached to one of the cabinets was a mirror. The mirror reflected an image of them. She climbed out of Emmett's lap to see if she could find the other mirror.

There was a large mirror above the front door. She looked into the living room to see Charlie watching TV. Why had he put the mirrors up? Had she done something that would violate his trust?

"I texted Alice, she said she saw a vision of Jacob installing the mirrors. Billy had him do it," Emmett said from behind her, just loud enough for her to hear.

She shook her head, letting out a heavy sigh. Billy was really starting to irk her nerves. Why couldn't he just stay out of her business? Emmett brushed against as he passed her. He made his way out the back door to check on the steaks. He brought them in and sat them on the counter.

Bella checked on the potatoes, realizing that they would need another ten minutes. She pulled a bag of salad out of the refrigerator, handing it to Emmett to put in a bowl while she set the table. He went to get her computer chair once he was done. She went to let Charlie know that dinner was ready once the potatoes were out of the oven.

Conversation was sparse as they ate. Charlie and Emmett caught Bella up on what she had missed. Charlie had gotten a kick out the Antonio Banderas story, claiming that Renee had been obsessed with Mel Gibson when they were together. Emmett helped Bella clean the kitchen before Charlie reminded him that it was almost ten and that it was a school night.

Bella walked him to his Jeep, making sure that Charlie wouldn't be able to see them from inside. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he picked her up off the ground. He held her tightly, not caring that there was no room between them. He crushed his lips to hers, holding back the urge to go farther. He knew the dame that could happen if he wasn't careful. Flashbacks of Jasper's story of accidently killing a girl that he'd had the nerve to fall for and hadn't been warned of the repercussions of his actions. Jasper had watched the girl die right in front of him within seconds. Alice had come along many years later, after he had sworn off finding love.

Emmett knew what it was like to stand his ground when it came to what he wanted. He had been patient and calmly explained to his family that not just anyone would do. Now that he had Bella, he was proud that he had stuck to his guns.

Bella moaned, making him groan. If she kept making noises, his resolve would crumble. He pulled away with a sigh, smirking as she pouted at him.

"I'm going to take the tank home and then I'll be back. I shouldn't be more than five minutes," he promised, setting her down.

"Go," she said, shoving her hair out of her eyes.

She watched him pull out of the driveway before going back into the house. She said goodnight to her dad and he looked away from the TV long enough to acknowledge her before turning back to the TV to see the Cubs score a double play.

She changed into her pajamas quickly then opened the window. She heard her dad coming up the stairs and she shut the door just as he walked into his room. She turned down the bed, hearing Emmett in the yard. He was climbing through the window as she got into bed. He lay next to her, and she settled against him and was asleep within minutes. He held her, glad to have her back in his arms. He didn't plan on letting her leave him again. The next time she left town, he was going with her. He would make sure of it.


	15. A Little Normalcy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; I just wish that I did.**

**Non Twilight related side note: I am finally saw the new Footloose. I am so behind on the times it is not funny. It not only reminded me why I liked the original so much but it renewed my crush on Kenny Wormald. For those of you who liked him in the movie you should definitely see Center Stage 2. He's good in that too.**

A month passed without fanfare and before Bella knew it, it was Prom season. She had told that Emmett that she didn't want to go, but she had a feeling that he wouldn't respect her wishes. She would suck it up and spend the entire night sitting down, that way Emmett would never know that not only was she a spaz but that she had two left feet that caused more trouble than they were worth. She wracked her brain for weeks trying to think of a way to change Emmett's mind to no avail. He was adamant that he wanted to go yet he wouldn't tell her why.

She was the first one in biology one afternoon so she went over her the project that was due that day one last time before turning it in. The classroom started to fill but she didn't pay any attention to Mike, Eric, or Tyler when they greeted her. She felt a cool breeze blow by her and sure enough Edward was in his chair a few seconds later.

"How do you think you did on your project?" he broached.

Bella turned her head, looking at him like he had grown three heads. He had said less than five words to her unless they were working on an assignment since she and Emmett had started dating. What made him suddenly interested in her life now?

"I think I'll get at least a B."

"That's good," he said with a nod.

She went back to what she was doing as the last of the kids from class trickled in just as the bell rang. The teacher announced that they would be presenting their projects in alphabetical order over the next few days. He called Edward up first and every girl in the class except for Bella gave him all of their attention. At the end of class everyone who hadn't presented their projects turned them over to the teacher until their turn came.

Emmett was waiting for Bella when she walked into the hall and he draped an arm over her shoulders loosely. She leaned against him, taking in his scent. She had been meaning to ask him what cologne he used. He kissed her temple as they walked down the hall. Edward fell into step with them on Bella's other side.

"So Emmett, are you and Bella going to eat alone are you two going to eat with the rest of us today?" he questioned.

"That decision has always been up to Bella," he reminded him.

"What do you think Bella?" Edward asked with imploring eyes.

"We can if you want to," she said, looking up at Emmett.

Emmett nodded before steering Bella away from Edward.

"What is with him? He talked to me today and we didn't even have a lab," she pondered.

"I told him that he had better start being nice to you if he knew what was going for him."

"You stuck up for me? That is so sweet," she said before kissing his cheek.

He gave her a crooked smile before squeezing her shoulder gently. He dropped her off at her next class seeing Alice out of the corner of his eye. She waved happily and he waved before continuing down the hall. He was glad that Edward had finally let his guard down. Maybe now Bella wouldn't feel like she was driving a wedge between him and his family.

XXXX

Charlie was gone when Bella got home. He left her a note saying that he was at Billy's and that she was more than welcome to come down and have dinner with them if she chose to. She had been keeping her distance from Billy since he had talked Charlie into having Jacob put up the mirrors. Emmett had since taken them down but Bella was still cautious of being around Billy because he tended to mention that he thought that Bella was too young to be in a serious relationship. Luckily Charlie had stuck up for her every time.

She had been missing Jacob. He had only come up twice in the past month. He had been doing odd jobs around the Rez to earn money for his first car. Bella understood, so she hadn't pressed him about his absence. She finished her homework in half an hour before deciding that she would go down to the Rez. She called her dad to let her know that she was on her way then called Emmett to let her know her plans in case he decided to come by the house.

She passed Jared as she pulled out of the driveway and she waved in greeting. He waved back before heading into the woods. Once she was on the Rez she drove passed Paul and he nodded in greeting. She smiled back as she pulled into Billy's driveway. Jacob came bounding down the stairs to meet her in the yard.

"Hey stranger," she teased.

"Hey," he said, smiling shyly.

"I figured since you couldn't come to me I might as well come to see you for once."

"I can't stay. I have to go pick up my car. You can come with me and Quil if you want, I'm pretty sure he won't mind."

"You go ahead. I'll still be here when you get back."

Quil pulled up in the driveway and Jacob moved around her to walk to the car. She waved over her shoulder at Quil and he honked in response. Inside, Billy and Charlie were in the living room watching baseball with Harry and Seth Clearwater and Sam. Sue was in the kitchen with someone that Bella didn't recognize from the back.

She walked into the kitchen to offer to help and the warmly turned to greet her. She was beautiful despite the scars running down the left side of her face, her chest and arm. Bella smiled in greeting and the woman smiled warmly. Sue turned to look and she smiled.

"Bella this is my niece Emily. Emily, this is Charlie's daughter Bella."

"It's nice to meet you," Emily said politely.

"You too," Bella said with a nod.

"Hey, Bells," Billy greeted from the living room.

"Hey," she called.

"Mom, is dinner almost ready?" Seth asked from the hall.

"We aren't eating until Jake gets back. I've told you that twice already," Sue said sternly.

"You can hold off for another half an hour Buddy, come back in here," Harry called to Seth.

"Is there anything that I can do?" Bella asked.

"Would you mind setting the table outside?" Sue asked.

"Yes ma'am," Bella said as she gathered paper plates and plastic cups from the counter.

Embry was outside at the grill and he nodded in greeting because he was on the phone. She ruffled his recently cut hair playfully in greeting before setting the table. She went back inside to grab the condiments that Sue had set out to be taken outside and Embry came to sit at the table while she finished.

"What made you come here? I thought that you had something against Billy?" he broached.

"I figured that it was time to bury the hatchet," she said, sitting across from him.

"What happened exactly?"

"Billy overstepped his boundaries. I understand that he is worried about me but he went too far when he tried to bring my dad into it," she said with a sigh.

Embry nodded in understanding, knowing how intense Billy could be when he believed in something. He had passed it on to Jacob.

"It's good that you're here, I wanted to talk to you. Would you want to come over to my house this weekend? I was going to invite Quil and Eliska too, and Angela has already said that she's coming. You could finally meet Emmett," she implored.

"I'll be there."

"I feel bad not inviting Jake but I wouldn't want him to feel awkward."

"I understand," he said nodding once more.

She sighed in relief, glad that Embry saw her side of things. She had been reluctant to ask him because he had been loyal to Jacob for as long as she had known him. Jacob and Quil came out the back door with Billy and Charlie following them.

Embry went back to the grill while Quil and Jacob sat with Bella. They talked sporadically, not feeling the need to talk. She watched her dad and Billy out of the corner of her eye. They were at the farthest edge of the yard from her with their backs to everyone else. Bella looked to the sound beyond them, not seeing anything that would warrant their attention. They walked back, still talking to them still talking.

"Is something wrong?" Bella asked as Charlie sat across from her.

"The tide is getting pretty high Billy thinks that it might reach the yard if it gets worse."

Jacob nodded his face worrisome. So Billy wasn't the only one who was worried. She would be too if she were them. Their house was on flat ground and there was a chance that if water did flood the yard then it would work its way to the house which could not handle another flooding.

"Is there anything that can be done?"

"I'm gonna stay here this weekend to help Jake build a stone wall; that should keep the water back."

"I don't know why I haven't done it yet," Billy said grimly.

Dinner passed quickly and soon Charlie was reminding Bella that it was getting late and that she had school in the morning. He left for work the same time she left to go home and once she was home she went straight up to her room. Emmett was reading a book on her bed when she came in. She grabbed a pair pajamas then changed in the bathroom.

Emmett was stretched out on the bed, ready for her when she came back into the room. She got into bed silently and his arms surrounded her once she was settled. She fell asleep less than a minute later, leaving him to his thoughts. Alice had told him about what was going to happen that weekend. It helped to know that she and Jasper would also be there.

XXXX

Friday came quickly and Bella found herself looking forward to the next afternoon. Charlie had given her permission to invite some friends over as long as she didn't throw a party. She only planned on the eight of them hanging out and having dinner.

Edward had surprised her by passing notes back and forth to her during the movie that they watched during Science that afternoon. He was offering her a truce; he would be nice if she would. He had even apologized. She didn't know what exactly Emmett had done to change his mind but she wasn't going to question it.

Emmett was waiting for her at her truck when school let out that afternoon. They used her truck when he went straight to her house after school. He had complained because there was no sound system for the first dozen times but now he had grown used it since Bella was known to scooting across the seat to leaned against him as he drove. That was a better distraction than music could ever be.

At her house Emmett set up his X Box in the living room while Bella straightened up the house. She had been putting it off for days and now she was scrambling to get it done. Jasper and Alice showed up while she was vacuuming the living room. There was a knock at the door just as she was putting the broom and mop in the pantry. Emmett let Angela in and Bella met her in the hall.

"I just talked to Embry, their running late. Quil had something that he had to do before they came over."

"That's fine," Bella said with a nod.

Emmett went back to playing video games while the girls went upstairs. They bided their time talking about what was going in the other's life.

"You aren't going to Prom?" Angela asked surprised.

"I have a feeling that Emmett isn't going to respect my wishes. I am a terrible dancer and I have a tendency to bump into people and knock things over," Bella said with an exaggerated eye roll.

"Oh that's bad," Angela said with a nervous laugh.

"Yeah," Bella said exhaling slowly.

"I want to go just so I can show Embry off. That alone is worth going for."

"Everybody has seen Emmett and I together though," Bella reminded her.

"Well, I think that it is time you reminded every girl we go to school with why he chose you," Alice said pointedly.

The front door opened before Bella could answer. The girls met the boys and Eliska at the bottom of the stairs. And Eliska looked grateful to see them. Bella introduced Emmett to Embry and the two of them started talking simultaneously. Bella took that as a good sign. The boys ventured into the living room while the girls headed upstairs. The girls talked for over an hour before Emmett came to stand at her door.

"I thought that you invited them over so we could hang out as a group," he said with a teasing smile.

"We'll be down in a minute," she said with a smile.

Eliska stared at the door with wide eyes, the same look that she had given him when he had let her and the boys in.

"He is so cute," she said in wonder.

"He is pretty great," Bella agreed.

Bella led the way back down the stairs and sat on the couch behind Emmett who sat on the floor. He leaned back his head resting in her lap with a smile while Embry and Quil took a turn. She ran her fingers through his hair endearingly and he closed his eyes in pleasure. The girls watched them in wonder, wondering how they could so close at such a young age.

A little while later Emmett asked the boys if they wanted to come outside while he cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs that Bella had bought on the grill. Bella readied the kitchen table, glad that she had asked Emmett to bring out the extra chairs from the spare room downstairs. Emmett came in with the food as she finished setting the table. Emmett, Jasper and Alice claimed that they weren't hungry but stayed with the others and kept the conversation going.

An hour after dinner Angela claimed that she had to leave because her dad wanted her home early. Embry walked her out, giving Bella a chance to talk to Quil and Eliska.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to you much tonight," Bella said to Eliska.

"That's okay. I didn't realize that there would be so many people here," she said with a laugh.

"It's amazing how many people can fit into this sardine can, huh?" Quil quipped.

The girls laughed while Embry said goodbye to Emmett and Jasper. Bella walked them out while Alice finished picking up the living room. Bella gave her a reprimanding look when she came into the living room a minute later.

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but you shouldn't have to clean all of this up yourself," she said with a kind smile.

"I really appreciate you and Jasper coming. It couldn't have been easy for him," Bella said, sounding worried.

"He did just fine. He told me that the boys were very nice," she reassured her.

"They're two of my closest friends," she said sentimentally.

"Maybe next time I'll get to meet Jacob," Alice broached.

"Maybe," Bella agreed with a small smile.

"Alice, we should go. These two deserve to be alone," Jasper said from behind Bella.

She turned to face to see him smiling at her. She smiled back and he nodded politely before turning towards the door. Alice kissed her cheek lightly as she passed her before following Jasper out the door. Emmett shut it after them then fell against it with a grunt. He turned his head to look at Bella to find her watching him with an amused expression.

"I'm surprised that we didn't have any uninvited guest," he murmured.

"What do you mean?" she asked, crossing the room to stand in front of him.

"I expected one of the wolves to come and tell the boys that they had to leave."

"I'm sure that they kept a close watch on the house just in case something went wrong. They aren't stupid."

"I know, but I couldn't help thinking the worst," he said with a shrug.

"Maybe now they'll tell Billy that it's okay for Jacob to come up while you are here," she said hopefully.

He smiled lightly with a nod. He may have only met Jacob only once but he got the impression that they would become friends if they were given the chance.

"What do you want to do now?"

"I have no clue. What do you want to do?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said pushing away from the door.

He took her hand, pulling her into the living room. They lay on the couch stretched out for hours. They talked about everything under the sun until she asked him something that he hadn't planned on talking about with her for a while.

"Have you ever gone to college?"

"A few times," he murmured.

"Where did you go?"

"I've been to Cornell, Michigan State, and most recently Brigham Young."

"Isn't BYU a Mormon College?" she asked in concern.

"My biological father was a Mormon Minister. I thought I had mentioned that."

"No."

"I didn't stay there very long. I didn't agree with any of the beliefs that they do. I went hoping that I would feel closer to my dad and somehow make him happy even though he's been dead for over sixty years," he said sadly.

"What about your brothers and sisters?"

"Edward collects diplomas like other people collect ties. He says that people should always strive to keep learning even after they are done with school."

"That's not a bad thing," she thought aloud.

"Where would you want to go to college?"

"I hadn't thought about it. Wherever you are I guess," she said with a shrug.

"Very good answer, I knew you were smart," he said kissing the tip of her nose.

"Jasper and the girls haven't gone to college?"

"Jasper's more philosophical smart, he would rather read Plato and Socrates than learn about them in a classroom. School has never appealed to Rose, she only goes when she has to and Alice is like me I guess. She's been to college a few times, but she doesn't feel the need to go as much as Edward does."

"I've always wanted to go to school in England. Maybe I could study at Oxford."

"You and Edward would get along just fine, he's been there," he said into her neck.

They let silence fall over them content to just be together. She was glad that he had been honest and upfront with her. He always had been and she hoped that he always would be.


	16. For You, I Will

**Disclaimer:**

**Emmett: Much to Donna's dismay I belong to Stephenie Meyer. This story on the other hand is hers, so please don't use it without her permission.**

**AN: So, my birthday is this coming Friday and all I want is what I can't have. Is it so hard for my fairy Godmother to come through just once?! I guess I'll never have a million dollars or Kellan Lutz…Oh well.**

Bella was thinking of all the ways that she could extract revenge on Emmett. Alice had breezed into the house like a beautiful, graceful princess and Charlie had taken notice. He had stared up the stairs after her flummoxed. After three torturous hours of trying on clothes, having her hair pulled every which way and being forced to succumb to eyelash curler Alice finally stepped away from Bella.

"You can look in the mirror now," Alice encouraged her.

"So the torture part of the afternoon is over? Are you sure you don't want to chain me up in the basement?" she accused.

"I only threatened you with that because you complained for the first half an hour," Alice said with an eye roll.

"You made me try on a dozen dresses!" Bella said exasperatedly.

"I wanted to make sure that you were wearing the perfect dress."

"I am wearing the third one that I tried on, were the other nine necessary?" she accused.

"Will you just look at yourself in the mirror, please?" Alice said, batting her eyelashes.

'That only works on Jasper and Emmett," she murmured.

Alice nudged her gently towards the floor length mirror attached to the back of her closet door. Bella sighed before finally looking at her reflection. Her hair was bulled back in the braided halo around the crown of her head. The black lace dress had a white rayon underlining and it clung to her like it was made for her. The skirt barely brushed her knees. Her makeup was subtle except her eye lids were a smoky shade of black that made her brown eyes pop.

"It's perfect," she said in astonishment.

"See? All of that work paid off. It wouldn't have taken me as long if you hadn't complained so much."

"I don't have any shoes that match this dress."

"No worries. You and I are the same shoe size too," she said as she reached into her bag.

"Joy," Bella said sarcastically.

Alice held up a pair of shoes and Bella shook her head quickly. Alice nodded, giving her a pointed look. She held out the black spike heels and Bella stomped her foot in protest.

"Fine," Alice said before gently pushing her onto the bed.

Alice had the shoes on and laced around Bella's ankles before she could protest. The heel was skinny and long, begging Bella to take one step so that it could beak and in the process break her ankle. Alice pulled her up off the bed and led her out of the room. She navigated the stairs with ease to where Emmett was waiting in the living room.

He stood at the same time Charlie did. Alice slipped out the door unnoticed while Bella fidgeted nervously. He took her in with an admiring look.

"Okay, picture time," Charlie said.

"Dad, come on,"

"I promised your mom that I would take pictures. You'll need to send them to her tomorrow," he said as he messed with the camera.

Emmett was standing in front of her in two strides. He wrapped an arm around her waist then pulled her to him. Charlie quickly took a picture then Emmett stood behind her with both hands behind her. She tilted her head to the side to look up at him and he looked down at her. The camera clicked, pulling Bella out of her reverie.

"Okay, that's enough," she said as her dad readied the camera again.

"Renee wanted one of him putting on the flower thing."

"It's a corsage Dad," Bella said with a sigh.

Emmett bit his bottom lip to keep from smiling. He reached behind Bella to grab the box from off the table then took her hand. He slipped a white corsage on her hand as her eyes locked with his.

"One more, we should have one of him helping you into the car."

"Car?" she asked in confusion.

"You'll see," Emmett said with a wink.

A black town car with a driver sat idling out front of the house.

"I didn't think that you would want a limo," Emmett whispered against her ear.

"You thought right. This is nice," she said with a smile.

"Are your brothers and sisters going to be there Emmett?" Charlie asked as they walked down the driveway.

"No," Emmett said with a small smile.

Emmett opened the back passenger door for Bella Charlie snapped a quick picture before she slid in. Once on the road Bella turned to face him. She was going to be honest and upfront with him. He needed to know what he was getting into.

"Have I told you that I cannot dance?"

"Once or twice," he teased with a light laugh.

"The odds are against me with these shoes on," she pointed out.

"I'm going to thank Alice for those shoes," he mused.

"What are you babbling about?"

"You look hot…Even if you are wearing my sister's clothes. Lucky for me she gave them to you. You have nothing to worry about, I've got everything under control," he promised.

They pulled into the school parking lot so she decided to let the conversation drop. She wasn't going to worry about something happening. She was going to try and enjoy the night for Emmett's sake.

"Why did you want to come tonight? I'm asking because I'm curious," she said as they walked into the gym.

"I thought that you would want to experience this. You won't have another chance to go to your first prom again."

"Why not next year?" she pondered.

"Because I wanted to experience it while I was still in school," he admitted.

"You've never been to prom?"

"They didn't have prom when I went to school Bells," he said with a sigh.

"I know that Emmett, you've been to a social before, that's almost the same thing," she reminded him.

He shook his head in disagreement. He hadn't wanted to admit that he had been jealous of his siblings for always having someone to do these kinds of things with. He had banned his siblings from coming even though Alice and Rosalie had been begging Jasper and Edward to take them. He wanted one thing for himself for once.

Bella sensed that there was something that he wasn't telling her, but she let it go. He squeezed her hand encouragingly as they walked through the crowd. He found them seats then went to get her a glass of punch. They were seated at an empty table so she looked around the gym to see if she could find anyone she knew. She saw Jessica and Mike and waved with a smile when they both waved. She saw Angela and Embry at the door so she waved to get their attention. Embry would be thankful to know at least one person there. Emmett came back and then started a conversation with Embry. Angela leaned in to talk to Bella over the music.

"Isn't that typical? We get dressed up and as soon as they see each other they forget about us?" she asked in mock frustration.

"I know, right?" Bella said with a breathless laugh.

"I like your dress. Where did you find one at the last minute?"

"It was Alice's. She said that I could have it since she only wears an outfit once then gives it away."

"Tell her I'm a size three too. Maybe she'll be nice enough to throw something my way."

"If you're a size eight shoe I'll give you these," Bella said holding her foot in midair.

"My dad's a minister; he would have a coronary if I wore a pair of shoes like that. But they are nice."

Jessica came and pulled the girls away, leading them to the bathroom.

"Sorry, I'm the only girl at my table so far, plus I wanted to talk to the two of you. First off, I love that dress Bella, you look hot. Second, I don't remember Embry being that cute, Angela."

"He's cut his hair since you saw him," Angela explained with a proud smile.

"He's todes adorable. I didn't think that Emmett could look any better and then he put a tux on…Hello!" she said shrugging her eyebrows suggestively.

"He looks like James Bond right?" Angela asked with a nod.

"Back when Sean Connery played Bond, because he is the best one if you ask me," Jessica said in agreement.

"Thank you," Bella said appreciatively.

There was a knock at the door and Bella opened it to see Emmett. He gave her a lopsided smile and she waved to the girls before stepping out of the bathroom. They walked to the dance floor and he pulled her close. She wrapped her arms around his neck before slowly swaying to the music.

"Put your feet on mine," he whispered.

Bella did what he asked and before she knew what was happening he was spinning her around the dance floor.

"Who taught you how to dance?"

"My real mother, it's one of those things that you never forget."

"This is nice too," she said before laying her head on his shoulder.

"This is much better," he murmured against her ear.

They danced through four more slow songs before a power jam started. Bella stepped off his feet and he led her back to the table. Angela leaned in to whisper in Bella's ear once she had sat down.

"I got some pictures of the two of you dancing. That was so sweet," she gushed.

"Will you send them to me?"

"Yeah," Angela said as she pulled out her phone.

Bella's phone buzzed and she pulled scrolled through pictures with a smile. She hated having her picture taken but even she couldn't complain about the pictures. They were nice and she wouldn't mind having them for her album. She shut her phone to see Emmett watching her. She smiled and he winked at her before going back to talking to Embry. The hours spent getting ready aside, she was glad that she had come.

XXXX

Bella had thought long and hard about the plan that she had come up with. She knew that the Sam, Paul, and Jared wouldn't be there since she had let Sam know that Emmett would be spending the day at the house. Once the wolves realized that Emmett was more than capable of taking care of her they promised to stay away while he was at the house.

Since Charlie had taken Billy fishing for the day that meant that there was nothing stopping Jacob from coming over. Jacob had not seen or talked to Emmett since the first awkward meeting that they'd had two months before. It was time that they had a chance to actually talk.

Bella cradled the phone on her shoulder as she waited for Jacob to answer the phone. Charlie was bound to have picked up Billy by now so the coast would be clear. The phone rang three times before Jacob finally picked up.

"Hello?" he asked sleepily.

"It's after ten, what are you doing still asleep?"

"I rarely ever get to sleep in. I'm taking advantage since my dad isn't here and he didn't leave with a list of chores to do," he said in an acid tone.

"I have a better idea. Why don't you come over here?"

"What time?"

"Uh, half an hour ago would have been nice," she said with a gentle laugh.

"What do you have planned for today?"

"Not a lot, I just wanted to spend the day with my two favorite guys."

"Emmett is there?"

"He'll be here in a little while. Come on Jake, please?"

"Can you come and get me? Quil and Embry are both working."

"I'll be there in twenty minutes, you had better be ready," she warned.

She grabbed her keys as she shut her phone. She took the stairs two at a time then strode the yard in determination. She slid behind the wheel of the truck and started it, not waiting for it to warm up before pulling out of the driveway. It was a nice day, even if it was a little cloudy. She drove down the interstate with the windows down to let the cool breeze blow threw her hair.

Jacob came out of the house as soon as she pulled up. He jogged threw the yard and silently got into the truck. Seth was walking up the street as Bella turned around in the yard. She waved and he grinned back before she drove away from him.

"How have you been? I haven't talked to you in a while," she asked.

"Good. I've been working."

"So I heard. You're doing odd jobs for people on the Rez?"

"I've almost got enough saved for the car I want."

"What kind of car is it?"

"It's a Rabbit."

"Who makes it?"

"It's a classic Volkswagen. They don't make them anymore."

"I bet you can't wait."

"Yeah, my dad won't make all the rules anymore. He said he'd ease up once I got a car."

"Maybe then I won't have to sneak you out of the house just so we can hang out."

"I kind of like it, we partners in espionage," he said with a smirk.

She ran a hand through his short locks, tugging playfully. He snorted before pulling away from her. Emmett's jeep was already at her house and he climbed out when he saw the truck coming. Jacob took him in cautiously. He knew that it was important to Bella for them to get along. Their last meeting hadn't gone well at all but that hadn't been either of their faults. He didn't see why his dad couldn't at least try to be nice to Emmett.

"Hey," Jacob said in greeting.

"Hey," Emmett said with a wide smile.

Bella heaved a silent sigh of relief as she led the boys into the house. Emmett followed Jacob into the living room while Bella grabbed them something to drink and a bag of chips for her and Jacob to share.

"You aren't going to eat any?" Jacob asked.

"I ate before I came over," Emmett said with a shake of his head.

Jacob shrugged before reaching into the bag again.

"You two actually have a lot in common Jake," Bella broached.

"We do?"

"Not only does Emmett have two sisters but like you, he has managed to maintain his dignity and manhood."

"Having sisters is a curse," Jacob muttered.

"One of my sister's isn't that bad. The other on the other hand is pretty high maintenance."

"Let me guess, the one who isn't that bad is perky to the point of being annoying," Jacob said with a roll of his eyes.

"Yep," Emmett said with a nod.

"Ugh, I feel for you man."

Bella went upstairs to grab Jacob's Xbox and the small basket of games that he had left at the house the last time he had come over. Billy always forgot it when he came over. The boys seized it and it was immediately hooked up and they were playing some military game that Bella didn't recognize. They joked and cajoled back and forth and Bella smiled in victory that they were bonding without her having to try.

After an hour Emmett's phone buzzed and he checked it quickly while keeping one eye on the game. He handed it to Bella and she read the text from Alice.

Your dad will be home in an hour.

"I think it's time that I took you home," she said getting Jacob's attention.

"I thought that you wanted us to spend the day together," he said in confusion.

"I just remembered that I have a paper due tomorrow and I haven't even started it yet. It's gonna take me all day to get it done."

"Okay," he said reluctantly.

Emmett helped Jacob get the Xbox and games together so that he could take it home. He walked them out to Bella's truck and Jacob busied himself with his phone. Emmett leaned in and kissed her quickly before telling her that he would hang out here until she got back.

"I just got a text from Quil. Our dads are at my house," he said with a sigh.

"Call your dad and let him know that we're on our way," she said as she started the truck.

She would have to think of a viable excuse to give Billy when he asked why she wasn't staying. Her dad and Sam were in the front yard. Jacob went inside without acknowledging Sam or Charlie. Charlie walked to the truck when Bella didn't get out.

"You aren't staying?"

"Emmett's coming over. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. I should be home by eleven."

"Okay," she said with a nod.

He patted her arm before pushing away from the truck. She heaved a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn't asked a lot of questions. She knew that he was suspicious about the fact that Jacob didn't hang out with Emmett but he hadn't asked any questions. She wasn't looking forward to the time when he finally did start asking questions.


	17. Prying, Hunting Eyes

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight…Although it would be awesome if I did.**

Emmett knew that his family would eventually have to leave but he didn't expect to happen within a few hours after he and Rosalie graduated. He helped Jasper and Edward load furniture into a moving truck. The less attention they drew the better off they would be. Carlisle had put in his resignation at the hospital the week before so that he would be able to help with the packing. Esme was telling Rosalie and Alice what boxes went onto the truck and which ones were going into Emmett's jeep. Carlisle promised to have it back to him by the end of the next day and he was leaving his car in case Emmett might need it.

Alice hadn't said much since the moving had started. She didn't like the idea of leaving Emmett. They hadn't been separated for longer than a few days since she and Jasper had joined the family. She always said that Emmett was like an extension of her, he was the kind of person that she would have wanted for a brother when she was human.

Once the cars, jeep and moving truck were loaded everyone piled into their respective cars, all except for Alice. She stood in the foyer with Emmett, looking up at him with sad eyes. He sighed deeply before pulling her in for a hug. She choked back a silent sob, letting him know that if she could cry she would.

"I'll come and see you. Alaska isn't that far away," he reassured her.

"I know, but that doesn't mean that I'll miss you any less," she murmured.

"Come on wood sprite, let go of me," he said gently pulling her hands from around his neck.

"Love you," she said with a small smile.

"I love you too."

"Come on, Alice," Jasper said from the bottom of the porch.

She took a fortifying, but unnecessary breath before walking onto the porch. Jasper led her to his car and look over his shoulder one last time once he had shut her door. Emmett waved with a crooked smile and Jasper nodded with a small smile. They pull out of the driveway one by one. Rosalie's BMW pulled out last with Rosalie driving and Esme in the passenger seat. Esme was turned completely around so that she could see Emmett as the car slowly rolled down the tree lined driveway. She kissed her hand and held it up for him to see with a forlorn look. He gave her an easy smile just before the car rounded the bend.

He pivoted on his heels to cross over the threshold. It looked emptier than he had seen it since they moved in. Esme had left him a few chairs and the sofa for the living room but all of the furniture from the dining room had been donated to Goodwill. A small table and lone chair that sat in the middle of the kitchen seemed on the verge of being swallowed up by the vast empty space of the rest of the room. There were a few pots and pans hanging from the ceiling and some plates and bowls in the cabinet. Everything about the room screamed that a bachelor lived there.

He took the stairs slowly and wandered into Rosalie and Edward's room. The room was void of any stamp that someone had lived there less than twenty four hours before. The black leather and steel couch was still in between the bank of windows that gave a view of the expansive back yard. Edward's high dollar stereo system was gone and the massive walk in closet was bare. The bookshelves looked lonely without Edward's library.

Carlisle and Esme's room was next. Esme had left her off white Elizabethan chaise lounge and the matching vanity table and bench. Emmett didn't think that he would ever see the day when she would leave them behind. She had taken such care of them, polishing them with meticulous care once a month. Carlisle's eighteenth century desk stood in the middle of the room where it always had. He had passed it down to Emmett as a going away present.

He pulled the chain to turn on the lone light in the closet. Compared to Rosalie and Edward's his parent's closet was small and drab. Esme had wanted it to be simple yet functional. It had served its purpose. The small room was empty except for the bench that Alice used to perch herself on while Esme would get ready. Emmett could still hear Esme's tinkling laughter as Alice critiqued whatever she had decided to wear for the day.

Jasper and Alice's room was the only room that still had all of its furniture. Alice said that way she and Jasper would be able to visit whenever they want. He ran his fingers over the white couch that Alice loved to lounge in while Jasper read to her from the floor in front of her. If he closed his eyes he would probably see Alice's fingers woven through Jasper's hair while he read Chaucer. Even with all of the clothes that Alice had taken with her, her closet was still overflowing with clothes. He had never been inside her closet before and his eyes widened in surprise. The walls were a pale pink while the carpet was white. There was so much pink chiffon hanging from the ceiling that he was afraid that he was going to get wrapped up in it if he walked farther into the room. He shook his head as he backed out of the room slowly. It was no wonder that Jasper had his own closet. At least Rosalie had been nice enough to stick with neutral white so that Edward could keep his dignity.

His phone chirped and he pulled it out of his pocket. Bella's face flashed across the screen and he pressed the on button with a smile.

"Would you ever decorate our closet with pink chiffon?"

"No," she said with a laugh.

"Thank God, I just left Alice's closet. It looked like a pig bled out in there," he grumbled.

Her laughter made him smile once more. He was glad in a way that she hadn't been there. It would have made leaving harder for Esme and Alice and he was thankful for the time to reflect on his own.

"What do I owe the pleasure of hearing your voice?" he asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to come over later. Embry and Jake are coming by and Jake has been asking for a rematch of Recon 4."

"Sure."

"Great. Can you be here by six?"

"I'll be there."

"How are you doing?" she asked, finally getting around to the real reason why she had called.

"It's too quiet. I guess it's something that I'll have to get used to," he said with a sigh.

"Maybe you could get the living room TV hooked up with surround sound like you've always wanted," she ventured.

"That does sound promising," he said thoughtfully.

Carlisle had never liked the idea of surround sound. He said that if he was going to hear a football game that way he had better be in the stands and not watching it at home.

"I'll let you go."

"What do you have planned for today?"

"I'm starting my over the summer project that Mr. Nolan assigned the incoming seniors."

"What kind of teacher gives homework over the summer?" he asked with a scoff.

"Fascists like Mr. Nolan," she said honestly.

"What do you have to do?"

"We have to take pictures of animals in their elements. Which means that I've got a hike ahead of me today," she said with a forlorn sigh.

"Do you want some company?"

"No, you'd just harsh my mellow," she teased.

He laughed shortly before hanging up. She was right; he needed to get a better attitude. Yes, he missed his family but he would bearish if he'd had to leave Bella. So he would take things in stride and deal with things as they came. He sent a quick text to Sam and asked him or one of the other wolves to keep an eye on her. He felt better knowing that someone was looking after when he couldn't.

XXXX

Bella was packing water bottles in her backpack while Charlie sat at the table. He watched her with questioning eyes. She placed his camera on top, wishing that she had her own.

"So the Cullen's are gone?"

"They left this morning," she confirmed.

"And why isn't Emmett going with you today?"

"Because this isn't his kind of thing, he has no patience when it comes to waiting."

"And he'll be here tonight?"

"Yes, Dad, so will Embry and Jake," she said with a sigh.

They had been through this twice since she woke up this morning. She wished that he would just tell him what was really bothering him.

"How often do you go to see Emmett at his house?"

"I've only been over there twice. One of those times I didn't even go inside."

"But you'll be going over there more now since his family is gone?"

"Maybe," she said with a shrug.

"I don't like that idea," he said with a shake of his head.

"Why?" she asked with furrowed eyebrows.

"Because letting you go over there is like telling you that it's okay to get pregnant."

"What?" she asked with a scoff.

"How do you think it would look to the rest of the town if I let you go over there?"

"I don't think that it's the rest of the town's business," she said quirking an eyebrow.

"Everything is everyone's business around here Bells. It's a small town, we look out for each other," he explained.

"Okay, I won't go over to Emmett's without talking to you first," she promised.

"He can come over here all he wants but I want someone going over there with you," he said with a shake of his head.

"Yes, Sir," she grumbled.

He nodded before standing from the table. He went into the living room and the sounds of an early baseball game could be heard. She shook her head in dismay as she gathered her things together. If she didn't leave now she was going to be stuck in the rain that would be coming in that afternoon.

Her phone buzzed in her pants pocket as she started the truck. She slid it open and read the text from Jacob. He would be there by the time she got home. Billy had been gracious enough to say that Jacob could stay with her that night since Charlie would be home.

She pulled into the parking lot that led to the trails in the woods half an hour later. She shouldered her bag before setting off into the woods. The smell of rain surrounded her letting her know that it would be coming before the weatherman had predicted.

An hour into the forest she stopped to rest. She sat on a tree that had fallen but had yet to be removed. She took in her surroundings before pulling out the camera. She was quiet as she checked the battery and then the focus.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw something red flee into the woods in front of her. She searched the area seeing nothing. She shook her head to clear the memory before pointing the camera lens at the trees above her. Something snapped in the distance followed by what sounded like a stampede of running feet, pulling her attention back to the area where she thought that she had seen something a minute before.

She stared into the vastness for nearly five minutes seeing nothing. _It must have been so__me animals chasing after something._ She thought to herself as she focused the camera on the tree branches once more. A sense of awareness washed over her like when she knew someone was watching her but couldn't see the person. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She stood, not wanting to stay there any longer. Hopefully the feeling would go away as she made her way back up the trail. She shouldered the camera since she hadn't been able to get any pictures. Maybe she would be able to snap a few on her way back. Next time she was definitely having someone come with her.

XXXX

The rustle from the forest weighed on Bella's mind as she made dinner that night. She slid a pizza in the oven replaying the scene. It had lasted less than a minute but it shook her to her core. She knew that she had seen something, there was no mistaking it. She had spent the whole walk back combing the woods searching for any flash of red. It had been all that she had been able to think about since she got home four hours before.

Charlie had stayed silent, but she had her suspicions that he knew something was up. Billy hadn't bothered to come in when he dropped off Jacob and Embry half an hour before. They sat at the table taken in Bella's harried expression. Emmett wasn't due there for another half an hour and she wanted a chance to pull herself together so that she wouldn't throw him off.

She heard a car pull up in the driveway and she looked out the window with a heavy sigh. Emmett was early. He strode through the yard and up the walkway wearing his silver lensed aviators, his face hard and his mouth one thin line.

She wiped her hands with a towel before opening the door for him. He refused to look at her as he passed her. She stared up at him with a confused expression. He walked up the stairs without a word.

"Embry, can you pull that pizza out in ten minutes? I need to talk to Emmett," she said as she walked up the stairs.

"Leave the door open," Charlie called.

Emmett sat on her bed his head in his hands, his glasses sat on the nightstand. She knelt in front of him with her hands on top of his.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

"My head is reeling. I need a few minutes," he murmured.

"What happened?" she asked scared.

"Why didn't you call me when you got home?"

"Did Alice see what happened this afternoon?"

"No, she didn't. I got a call from Sam," he said with a shake of his head.

"The wolves were the noise that I heard," she said in realization.

"Yes," he said flatly.

"What were they after?"

"It's not important, but you are not to go back into the woods without me or the wolves," he said firmly.

"Technically the wolves were there," she said just above a whisper.

"You know what I mean Bella," he said, giving her a hard look.

"Tell me what it was. I saw it, but only for a second."

"Vampires, Bella, there were vampires stalking you,"

She pulled away from him with a gasp. She sat back on her heels staring at him with wide eyes.

"Sam said that they were able to track one of them down. There are still two them after you. You are not going to be left alone, not if I can help it," he said vehemently.

She nodded her head, not trusting herself to speak. Emmett stood then helped her stand to her feet.

"Jake will be up here in a few seconds," he whispered.

Jacob leaned against the doorframe watching them. Emmett had his hands on Bella's shoulders as she buried her face in his chest. Emmett's eyes met Jacob's with a tight smile.

"There's someone downstairs. They want to talk to Bella."

Emmett furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Then the smell hit him. One of the wolves was downstairs. Bella pulled away from him and he took hold of one of her hands as Jacob led the way down the stairs. Sam stood at the bottom of the stairs giving Bella a hard look. She sighed deeply before looking down at her feet in remorse.

Sam opened the door and motioned for her to step outside. Emmett moved to follow them and Sam held up a hand.

"I'll only keep her a few minutes. There's no need for you to come out," he said politely.

Jacob's look of displeasure as Bella shut the door didn't go unnoticed by her. He had his game face on, and he would rescue her if he felt the need. Sam leaned against the railing with his arms folded over his chest.

"Before you say anything, I don't think that Jacob is in danger. Emmett would never hurt him," she said in Emmett's defense.

"That is not up to you to decide," he said, giving her a stern look.

"I want them to be friends. Isn't it important to you that your fiancée be accepting of the pack?"

"That is different," he said with a shake of his head.

"How is it different? Emily has told me that her parents don't approve of you being together," she pointed out.

"We are both adults. Jacob is a child who has to answer to his father," Sam reminded her.

"You know what he is like. You can't honestly tell me that you agree with what Billy is doing."

"That is not my decision," he said gravely.

"Please, just give it a chance. If something happens than you can be the one to take Jacob home. I will not stop you."

"No, Jacob will," he muttered with a roll of his eyes.

"You can stay nearby to make sure that nothing happens," she reasoned with him.

"If there is one false move I will not hesitate to take Jacob and Embry home. I don't care how much Jacob fights me."

"Agreed," she said with a nod.

"Next time, let me know before you decide to let them have bonding time," he said pushing away from the railing.

Bella was inside before he pulled out of the driveway. Emmett met her at the kitchen nook and she looked up at him with trusting eyes. He moved out of the way and she brushed a hand over his as she passed him. Embry stood at the oven pulling the pizza out of the oven.

"I've got it, thanks Embry," she said, standing behind him.

He handed her the pizza cutter silently then went back to the table. Jacob stood next to her leaning against the counter. He grabbed a handful of raw peperoni from the bag and popping it in his mouth.

"What did Uley want?" he asked around his food.

"He had some questions about something."

She cut the pizza without looking up at him. Emmett grabbed plates from the cabinet while Jacob went to tell Charlie that dinner was ready. She made a plate for Emmett while she waited for Charlie to come into the room.

"You're eating? Wow, I've never seen you eat, Big Guy," Embry joked, clapping a hand on Emmett's shoulder.

"He'll eat that and then come back for more," she teased over her shoulder.

"Bella's pizza is better than Al's and that frozen stuff that you get at the store combined," Charlie praised.

Charlie headed back into the living room to watch the end of Sports Center before the news came on. Embry sat on the counter to eat while Jacob went upstairs to get Bella's computer chair to use. Emmett moved Charlie's chair next to Bella's to give Jacob room. Jacob and Embry voiced their approval with mouths full of food. Emmett went back for more before anyone else followed by Jacob. Bella pulled the last pizza out of the oven before grabbing another slice of pizza. Embry finished off what was left of that pizza and Bella boxed the other pizza so that Emmett could take it home.

"How come he gets to take home a whole pizza?" Embry questioned.

"Because he's living by himself now, I want to make sure that he eats."

"Now, we can head upstairs," Jacob announced.

Jacob and Embry had already set up the Xbox on the TV that Charlie had brought in from the shed. It was a small, bulky TV but it was better than nothing. The boys lounged on the floor while Bella worked on her computer. Laughter and machine gun effects from the game filled the room and Bella was happy to have the three of them there with her. She had been worried that they would be scared off after Billy's rules and regulations that he had put on Embry and Quil about seeing Emmett.

Charlie came up after the nightly news and joined in the game taking Bella by surprise. He had never done that before. He fit in with them easily, sitting in between Emmett and Embry on the floor but leaving room for Jacob who was sprawled across the bed to see.

Bella turned off her computer then lay next to Jacob on the bed as he waited for his turn. His head rested on his arms and he turned it to look at her once she was situated. He gave her an easy smile and she smiled back sentimentally. Their arms touched at the elbow and Bella felt at ease with the scene in front of her. After the day she'd had she wished every night could be this peaceful.


	18. The Art of Compromise

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight; sad, but true.**

**AN: I want to apologize for the lack of updates for this story. Up until last week I hadn't written anything new in weeks. I ****blame my local Library for having so many books that were on my reading list. Some people make a bucket list, I have a reading list, please don't judge me. Anyway, in the past month alone I have read eight books. Is it sad that the list is seven pages l****ong? I don't think so.**

After giving the situation that Bella was in a lot of thought and debating how serious the situation was Emmett decided against involving his family. Sam had assured him that someone from the pack would always keep a watch on Bella even when Emmett was with her so that he could focus on her when they were together. As it was he was afraid to let her out of his sight for longer than hour at a time. She had all of kinds of plans for things that they could do together since it was turning out to be one of the wettest, dreariest summers in Washington history.

She wanted to go back to Mt. Rainer and it looked like it just might happen if the weather turned out to be as nice as the weather man had predicted it would be that weekend. For the moment she was stuck in the house and she was as sullen as Emmett had ever seen her.

"It's summer, we should go out and do something," she suggested.

"We have all summer to go and do whatever you want. Right now I want to find and get rid of whoever you saw in the woods."

"Do you honestly think that they would try something with you with me?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"I don't want to take any chances."

"And I am tired of being stuck in the house," she said with a sigh.

"We went for a walk in the woods yesterday," he reminded her.

"We were only outside for twenty minutes before you heard something and ushered me back inside," she pointed out.

"Bells, I am not arguing with you about this," he said firmly.

Bella let it go, but shook her head in annoyance. She could understand that he wanted to be cautious, but he was taking it to a level that was starting to freak her out. Her mom had called her the other day to confirm that she and Emmett were still coming to Phil's game in Seattle over the Fourth of July which was only a few days away. She wanted her mom to meet Emmett more than she had wanted anything in the world. He had promised to think about it but had yet to let her know.

"The tickets to the game should be coming in the mail today or tomorrow," she said to change the conversation.

He nodded, not looking at her. She bit her bottom lip nervously not knowing what to say to him. She had never seen him like this before and it worried her. Charlie came in with the mail taking her focus off of Emmett. He handed Bella an envelope that had Phil's baseball team's logo on it. She opened it and pulled out the tickets. It would be a night game so Emmett would be able to go and not have to worry about people suspecting anything.

"I know that you want to look out for me and I appreciate it, I do. But you have to let me out of the house every once in a while. I'm starting to get Cabin Fever," she rationalized.

"I'm trying everything that I can think of, I don't know what to do Bells," he answered in a stressed tone.

"I know," she said putting a hand on his back.

He rested his elbows on his knees before placing his face in his hands. Charlie stood in the archway watching them in concern.

"What's wrong Emmett?

"He's nervous about meeting mom and Phil."

"I feel for you. Renee can be intimidating when you first meet her."

Emmett's head bobbed up and down in his hands but he didn't answer Charlie.

"At least the pack will have the weekend off," Bella said once Charlie walked into the kitchen.

"I didn't tell you that Paul was coming with us?"

"No, you didn't," Bella said in a flat tone.

Of the three wolves Paul was her least favorite. He was egotistical, he was loud and he was obnoxious. Yet somehow he and Emmett had become best friends.

"He won't be in the way. He's just going so that I can relax and focus on you."

"I just wish that you had let me know before now."

"Sorry."

He sat up with a sigh and she draped her arm over his shoulders. He leaned into her and put his forehead to hers. He breathed deep taking in her scent. He swore sometimes that he thought he could become drunk on her smell. She smelled of a mix of gardenias and honeysuckle. He loved that he could smell it on his clothes for days after he had seen her.

He knew that being on lockdown was starting to drive her crazy but it was for her own good. The wolves had been searching for the vampire that Bella had seen in the woods for over a week with no success. Whoever they were they were awfully good at hiding.

"Can't Sam come instead?" she questioned.

"He has to work, and before you ask; no, Jared cannot come," he said firmly.

"Why?" she asked in exasperation.

"I know that the two of you have become friends, but I don't trust him. He's unreliable and he's known for giving you whatever you want."

"So? He's a teenager, we're unreliable at times," she argued.

"Bella, I don't want to argue with you about this," he said with a sigh.

She sighed heavily with a shake of her head. She didn't trust Paul any farther than she could throw him. She saw things that Emmett didn't and she wasn't about to point them out right now. Paul was a chauvinistic pig who grated on her every last nerve. She got up from the couch and Emmett put a hand on her arm to stop her.

"Where are you going?"

"To call my mom and ask her to reserve a ticket for him. He'll also need a place to stay, because I am not sharing a room with him."

"I've already taken care of all of that. I know that he isn't your favorite person. I even asked Sam to talk to Billy about letting Jacob go because Paul was coming and Billy wouldn't hear him out."

"You did?" she asked, touched that he would think to do that.

"I don't want you to worry. Give yourself a break while we're with your mom."

"You should take your own advice," she said with a crooked smile.

"Dually noted," he said with a nod.

She sat back down with a heavy sigh. Emmett's arms encircled almost immediately and his chin rest on her shoulder. Even though he's as cold as she had ever felt him she felt the warmth that he was trying to send her. His love for her grew every day and she sometimes felt guilty for still not feeling secure enough to vocalize how she felt about him.

"Don't you think that you should hunt before we leave? Being around those people will be hard for you if you don't."

"It's something that I'll have to live with," he said offhandedly.

"You can't leave me even if it's for one night?" she questioned, turning in his arms to look at him.

"I told you that I wasn't letting you out of my sight," he reminded her in a hard tone.

"Why not ask Sam if he can come and stay with me?"

"That won't work, but you gave me an idea," he said pushing her away then getting off the couch.

He pulled his phone out of his jeans pocket as he strode to the front door. It was pressed to his ear before he shut the door. Bella watched the door in confusion. Why couldn't he make the call in front of her? He came back in and headed upstairs. She followed him wondering what was going on. He was pulling a t-shirt out of her dresser when she finally made it to her bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

"You're spending the night at Jake's. The wolves can keep an eye on you and keep watch over the reservation at the same time," he said not looking up from what he was doing.

"I appreciate you arranging that, but don't you think that you should have asked me first?"

"You're the one who suggested Sam look after you so that I could go hunting," he reminded her.

"And Billy is okay with this?"

"He's the one who suggested it," he said zipping her book bag then holding it out to her.

"I need to call my dad to let him know."

"Billy already took care of that. He's staying the night down there too so that he and Billy can go fishing in the morning."

Bella took her bag amazed that he had come up with a plausible excuse for not only her but her dad to be on the reservation so quickly. She smiled at him with gratitude before following him down the stairs and out of the house. He drove her to the reservation himself since Billy had made an exception to the 'no Cullen' rule just this once.

Jacob and Embry were in the front yard working on Billy's truck when they pulled in. Bella leaned across the seat to kiss him quickly and he brushed her hair out of her eyes before she pulled away.

"I love you," he murmured.

She smiled lovingly before opening the door. Jacob helped her down from the Jeep then waved before shutting the door. Emmett waited until Bella and Jacob were standing with Embry by Billy's truck before backing out of the yard. He saw the front window curtain flutter closed and he could make out Billy's shape on the other side. He would have to work a little harder at gaining the older man's trust.

XXXX

Bella was still at Jacob's when Emmett texted her early Friday morning. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room as she tried to read the text. From what she gathered, Paul was on his way to get her. She sighed before rolling out of the bed. Jacob rolled over and watched her through tired eyes.

"What's going on?"

"It's time for me to leave. I'll come over on Monday," she said as she ran her fingers through her hair quickly.

He threw his legs over the side of the bed before sitting up. He rested his elbows on his knees then raked a hand over his face with a tired sigh.

"It's too early," he complained.

"I can wait for Paul on the porch. Go back to bed," she said leaning down to kiss his forehead.

She left the room as he got resituated under the covers. Paul was pulling into the yard when she stepped outside. She got into his car and leaned her head against the window. The ride to Emmett's was quiet save for her occasionally giving Paul directions and she opened the door as soon as the car stopped.

She could hear Emmett in the garage but she headed inside. She could see Paul heading towards the garage out of the corner on her eye. She headed to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water and an apple from the fruit bowl that Emmett kept there for her.

Emmett crept up behind her, making her jump. He wrapped his arms around her waist before burying his face in her neck. He kissed behind her ear twice before moving to the hollow of her neck.

"I missed you too," she said in agreement.

The moan that escaped his lips vibrated through her. She turned in his arms to stare up at him lovingly. He moved to lean down but paused just inches from her lips. She could hear Paul walking down the hall towards them. He pushed through the revolving door to lean against the furthest wall from Bella and Emmett.

"Do you have anything to eat around here?"

"There's cereal in the pantry," Emmett said nodding towards the door on the wall behind him.

Paul grabbed a mixing bowl from the shelf beneath the island then filled it with the entire box of cereal before going to the refrigerator to get the milk. Bella watched him in shock as he devoured all that was in the bowl in less than two minutes.

"Are you ready to go?" Emmett asked over his shoulder.

"Yeah," Paul answered, putting his bowl in the sink.

Paul brought up the rear while Emmett pulled Bella through the house. The jeep was already packed and Emmett lifted Bella into the front passenger seat. Paul hoisted himself into the seat behind Emmett with ease. He stretched out, leaning against the door before pulling the hat that he was wearing down over his eyes. The jeep rumbled to life and they started down the highway in silence.

Bella was watching the scenery pass by when her phone buzzed from the console. She picked it up wondering who would be texting her so early. It was Alice.

Are you with Emmett?

Yes. Bella sent back quickly.

I can't see either of you. Everything went black. Alice explained.

We're fine.

Is anyone with you?

A friend of Emmett's named Paul.

He's one of the wolves isn't he?

Yeah.

That explains it. Sorry to bother you. Have fun.

Bella shut her phone to see Emmett watching her.

"Who was that?"

"Alice can't see us. She was just checking to make sure everything was okay."

Emmett nodded before taking hold of her hand. He placed their intertwined hands on the console with a smile. Bella focused her attention back on the passing scenery as Paul's soft snoring filled the cab.

"You should get some sleep too," Emmett said to break the silence a few minutes later.

"I'm not tired," she said with a shake of her head.

It was true, she really wasn't tired. She had gotten a decent night's sleep, even though it had only been for a few hours. She had become accustomed to having someone else to sleep with. Jacob had been more than willing to share his bed with her. Jacob may have been built like a flagpole but his presence was welcomed. They had stayed up talking and goofing off until Billy had had enough and finally told them to quiet down at two. It was fun and had been a good distraction from what had been going on.

XXXX

Renee had been in the lobby to greet them when they got to the hotel. She spared no shame when she gushed over Bella and how she looked better than she had seen her in years and she didn't hold back in her approval of Emmett even though he was only a few feet away. She linked arms with Bella in the elevator and they let the guys go ahead of them so that they could have a little girl talk.

"What do we think of Paul?" she questioned.

"I don't know him that well," Bella said with a shrug.

"Don't hand me that. You must have some opinion of him," Renee said, giving her an even look.

"He's not so bad, in small doses. Please be nice to him."

"He's a cutie, so I'll cut him some slack. I'll be nice as long as he is," Renee promised.

"Thank you."

Renee left them at Emmett and Bella's room so that they could settle in but reminded them of lunch in her and Phil's room in an hour. Paul went into his room through the adjoining door, leaving Bella and Emmett to have some alone time.

"Finally, I can kiss you properly," he said as he pulled her to him.

She wrapped her arms around his neck before leaning up on her tiptoes to meet his lips. He picked her up off the floor and she bent her legs with a giggle. He pressed his lips to her in a hard kiss. His fingers dug into her sides, making her moan. He threw everything he had at her and she still wanted more, she guessed that she would be left wanting more until he was able to kiss her the way that she had been craving him to since their first kiss.

He pulled away, putting his forehead to hers. She kissed him lightly before laying her head on his shoulder. He carried her to the bed, laying her down gently. He lay over top of her resting his weight on his elbows. His eyes explored her body for the first time in weeks. She felt sexy and empowered whenever he did it. What woman doesn't like being adored?

They lay there silently until Paul knocked on the adjoining door to let them know that it was time to leave. Renee and Phil were in the hall waiting for them when Emmett opened the door. Bella introduced Emmett and Paul to Phil and he shook their hands graciously. Renee linked arms with Bella once more as they walked to the elevator.

"He is more than I could have wanted for you. I am very happy that you have found someone who makes you happy Honey. It's obvious that he's crazy about you."

"If you only knew," Bella agreed with a nod.

Bella doubted that Renee would understand just how deep Emmett's feelings ran for Bella. She wouldn't be as accepting, that much Bella knew for sure. Renee wasn't closed minded but she didn't believe that love lasted forever when you were a teenager. No one that she knew had gotten it right the first time around. Bella used to agree with her; until she met Emmett. She couldn't imagine being with anyone but him.

During lunch Paul and Phil talked baseball and Emmett interjected when he could. Paul had played ball when he was in school and had dreams of playing in the major leagues just like every high school baseball player. Renee peppered Emmett with questions in the gaps of time that he wasn't talking with Phil and Paul. Emmett answered her questions as honestly as he could while Bella wanted to crawl under the table in embarrassment.

Phil had practice after lunch and invited Paul and Emmett to come. That gave Bella a chance to talk to her mom about what had happened.

"Did you really need to ask him when he had last been checked for an STI?"

"Bells, he is a sexually active eighteen year old male living on his own. I don't want to be a grandmother before I am forty two."

"You won't be."

"Do you really expect me to believe that? Have you looked at him?"

"I'm a virgin, Mom. You don't need to worry."

"Your dad might fall for that, but I am not buying it. When did you become so tense?" Renee asked with a shake of her head

Bella wasn't going to correct her. There was so much going on that even her mother would have a panic attack and refuse to let her go back so she held her tongue. She was going to put the conversation behind her and enjoy her weekend with her mom and Phil. She didn't know when she would see them again.


	19. Drastic Times Call for Drastic Measures

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

AN: Sorry that I haven't updating this in a month. I've been working on my others stories since I hadn't updating some of them in months.

It had taken a lot of coaxing, but Emmett had relented when Bella had pleading for a little normalcy and time to decompress from their weekend in Seattle. He had Alice keeping her thoughts turned towards Bella so if anything happened, he would know.

Bella drove down the highway with the windows rolled down and her arm resting on the windowsill enjoying the fresh air and cool breeze. She fiddled with the radio with just a few miles until she reached the reservation. Her mind was so focused on seeing Jacob and hashing out everything that had driven her crazy throughout the weekend that she didn't notice a streak of red and white running through the forest adjacent to the truck.

She slowed to a crawl once she turned onto the reservation. There were a lot of kids on the road making their way to and from the beach. She waved at Seth when she passed him and he grinned in return. She pulled into Jacob's yard not seeing Billy's truck. She walked up the ramp that Sam had built a few weeks before taking in the silence.

She knocked three times before letting herself in. The house was hot and muggy due to the fact that the windows were closed and the three fans were all turned off. She walked towards the shed thinking maybe Jacob was working on the car that he had recently bought. It too was empty so she pulled her phone out of her pocket. She dialed Quil's number without looking at her phone.

"Hey," he said, picking up on the first ring.

"Hey. What are you up to?"

"Embry, Jake and I are hanging out."

"Do you mind if I come over?"

"We aren't in town. We're camping, sorry."

"That's okay. I can find something else to do. I won't keep you."

She hung up with a dejected sigh before heading back around the front of the house. She walked with her head down, her hands jammed into her shorts pockets. A strong gust of wind rustled her hair making her look up in confusion. She was met with two pair of blood red eyes trained on her. She froze, not sure what to do. Where were the wolves? Why hadn't they smelt them before now?

"Well, well, well, you are in quite a predicament, aren't you? What to do, what to do?" The man asked with a sneer.

"We could make it fun, and give you a head start. But we won't," The woman said coldly.

"Your lover didn't make catching you easy. I am going to enjoy this very much."

Bella heard the wolves before the vampire's did and took off in the opposite direction, that way once the vampires caught on to the smell one would be forced to see what it was while the other would be after her by themselves giving Emmett time to catch up. She heard the crunching sound of bare feet on the forest floor as she tried to put a good distance between them. She refused to look over her shoulder; it would only slow her down.

No amount of running could get the person off her trail. After ten minutes she was becoming winded and wasn't sure how much longer she could keep going. She would keep running until her legs gave out.

She veered right and heard the person less than a hundred yards behind her. They were toying with her. They should have been able to catch her before now. She felt like she had been running for over ten minutes. Where was Emmett? She let her mind wander, which was a mistake. She tripped over a tree root, not only twisting her ankle, but catching in the snarls of the root. She went down arms first, feeling bones break instantly. Her chest heaved as she looked over her shoulder to the man standing over her with a triumphant smile.

"Stupid girl, you thought that you could outrun me?"

"You won't be able to hurt me, Emmett will be here soon."

"I'll take my chances," he said, kneeling down beside her.

He cupped her arm in his hands, gently lifting it to his nose.

"You smell wonderful, I don't see how your mate could stand it," he said with a smile.

His teeth sunk into her wrist before she could react. She let out a wail in agony as the venom entered her veins. Blood pooled around the edges of his mouth as he greedily sucked. He was pulled off of her and she lifted her head, seeing Emmett detach one of the blonde's arms from his body. She choked back a sob grateful to see him.

"Bella, don't watch," he ordered forcefully.

She heard the vampire scream in rage before he was silenced forever. Emmett flicked open a lighter, striking quickly before the parts had time to reassemble. He came to stand over her, watching her in concern. The venom was making her delirious, and she was starting to shake from the pain.

"Close your eyes and relax. This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you," he said gently before leaning down.

His teeth sunk into her neck and her gasp was strangled as she passed out from the pain.

XXXX

The wolves were hot on the red heads trail when she jumped into the ocean. They were helpless now; they couldn't follow her scent now. They had chased her to the Canadian border, figuring that Emmett had had enough time to get to Bella before the other vampire did. They turned towards home, wanting the day to be over with. They were tired and weary and ready for a break from Bella detail. Paul didn't understand why Emmett would want to be with her. She was beautiful, but that was the only thing the girl had going for her. She was as dull as dull could be and Paul had tried to persuade Emmett into maybe finding a new girlfriend. Emmett had threatened to kill him, claiming he knew a way to make it happen. Paul would have to question Sam about that.

XXXX

Carlisle, Edward and Alice were waiting for Emmett when he brought Bella to the house. Carlisle already had his old office set up as a hospital room and once Emmett had placed Bella on the gurney Carlisle had ushered him out of the room and locked the door, all the while Emmett threatened to tear the door off its hinges.

"Give me an hour to assess the situation," Carlisle reasoned through the door.

Edward wrapped a hand around Emmett's forearm, using so much force that Emmett was rendered shocked as he pulled him into the closest room then slammed the door. He threw Emmett across the room and the wall bulked under Emmett's weight.

"How could you be so stupid?" Edward questioned.

"I had Alice watching her," Emmett said once the shock of being thrown by Edward wore off.

"Where were you?"

"I had been around humans all weekend, I needed to feed."

"So you let her go off by herself?"

"I knew where she was going, and as I've mentioned, Alice was keeping an eye on things. She called me as soon as she saw it. Bella is smarter than you think."

"Yes, she's so smart that she let herself be changed. Oh, she's a genius!" Edward chided.

"Don't mock me," Emmett said as he stood.

"Do you want to know what you are, brother? You are weak. Why must you always fall for these weak girls who rely on you to take care of them?"

"Stop it," Emmett warned.

"When were you planning on telling us that there were vampires after her?"

"I didn't want to bring all of you into it. I had it under control until today."

"Do you realize that you changed her on Quileute land? You have no idea what you have started. Carlisle will have to go down there and smooth things over because you didn't think to bring her back here before changing her."

Emmett made a sound of disgust before stalking across the room. His fist made contact with Edward's face and he could feel the splinters spreading across Edward's chin underneath his hand. The door flew open and Alice came to stand between them.

"Edward, you know better than to goad him. Emmett, I think it's time that Charlie learned the truth. He's going to worry when Bella doesn't come home. I'll go with you. Edward, Carlisle needs your help," she reasoned.

Emmett gave Edward an icy glare before moving away from him. Edward's wound was already healing, but he did feel a small amount of satisfaction. Alice put a hand on his arm to lead him out of the room. She was right, Charlie needed to know. Emmett had some trepidation about facing him; he didn't know how he would react.

The ride to Charlie's was quiet. Alice drove the speed limit, wanting to draw out the situation for as long as possible. Billy's truck was parked behind Charlie's cruiser. It was good that he was there; Emmett could plead his case and wouldn't have to rely on Carlisle. Charlie answered the door with a welcoming smile when he saw Alice standing next to Emmett.

"Bella isn't here guys. I don't know where she is."

"I know sir. I need to speak to Mr. Black," Emmett explained.

Charlie opened the door wider and Alice steered him towards the kitchen while Emmett walked into the living room. Billy sat in the middle of the room, looking grave.

"I'm guessing that Sam has told you his side of what happened," Emmett said with a sigh.

"The girl got away," he said grimly.

"Bella wasn't so lucky. If I had gotten there a minute sooner…" he said with a strangled sigh.

"I don't blame you for what happened."

Emmett looked at him with a confused expression.

"Were you able to save her?"

"Yes, in a few days she'll be like me," Emmett said quietly.

"Charlie will understand. I'll make sure of it. You did the right thing."

"Bella told me that you were an understanding person, I didn't know that you were also humble."

"Bella's a good girl. I'm sorry that I tried to interfere."

"It's alright sir."

Alice came into the room with Charlie on her arm. She led him to his recliner while Emmett sat on the couch facing him. He started from the beginning, explaining that he had fought his feelings for Bella for as long as he could. He loved her more than he had ever loved anyone in his entire life. Then he let the bottom fall out and told him who he was. Charlie stared at him dumbfounded, his eyebrows raised in humor.

"This is a joke, right? Where's Bella hiding?" he asked looking towards the door, expecting it to open and Bella to walk in.

"It's not a joke Charlie. Emmett is a vampire," Billy said with a shake of his head.

"Where is my kid?" Charlie asked, tired of the run around.

"She's at my house. She's going through a transition right now. In a few days she'll wake up and she'll be immortal."

"How in the hell did this happen?"

"It was a bad judgment on my part. I'll take the blame for what happened," Emmett said, hanging his head in shame.

"No, this is not your fault. You have been working your ass off to protect her. No one could have known that what would happen would happen," Alice said in his defense.

"Emmett don't blame yourself," Billy interjected.

"How long have known about them Billy?" Charlie asked, gesturing towards Emmett and Alice.

"Since I was a kid, I didn't meet them until they came back a few years ago."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because until Bella came back; we had it under control."

"Will I be able to see her again?"

"It wouldn't be best, not for the first year," Alice said with a shake of her head.

"What am I supposed to tell her mom?"

"Tell her that it was an animal attack and that you had to have her cremated. I'll help you deal with Renee and everyone in town."

"You'll take care of her?" Charlie asked Emmett.

"She'll never want for anything. I will show her more love than she has ever known."

Charlie nodded, accepting Emmett's answer. Billy told them that they could go and that he could handle things from there. There was no mention of Jacob or the boys or if Bella would be able to keep in contact with them. Emmett hoped that she would be able to, they were the only friends she had other than his family. He owed a lot to Billy and the wolves; he would find a way to repay their kindness.


	20. What Is and What Will Never Be

Disclaimer:

Emmett: Donna does not own me, I belong to Stephenie Meyer.

M: Please don't remind me of what I'll never have; it's rude.

Emmett had not left Bella's side in the two days since she had been changed. He could hear her heart beating rapidly as her body adjusted to its new form. Carlisle had tried to coax him away several times to no avail. Alice had been the one to reason with him and remind him that he should be at the funeral to support Charlie and Renee.

Sam had called to tell him that Jacob and the boys had not taken the news of what had happened to Bella well. Jacob had been shut up in his room since Billy had told him the news. There was a few minutes of things being smashed, glass shattering and curse words spouted before the house was suddenly silent again. Billy wished that Jacob would let him in.

Carlisle had gone down to the reservation to talk to Quil and Embry about the situation. They were worried for their best friend but also sorry for the loss of another. It was obvious that the two of them cared deeply not only for Jacob but for Bella. He would talk to Billy about the boys learning the truth and see where things went from there.

Renee and Phil had taken the first flight into Seattle and Charlie had picked them up less than seven hours after the news about Bella had been made public. They were staying with Charlie and he was glad to have something else to focus on other than the fact that Bella would never be the same again. Emmett had explained things fairly well and under no circumstances was Renee to find out the truth.

The funeral was set for Wednesday, three days after the accident; also known as "Bella Reborn Day" by the Cullen's. All of them except for Jasper would come to the funeral because someone had to be there if Bella woke while Emmett and Carlisle were gone. Alice didn't see it happening, but none of them wanted to take any chances.

The funeral home was filled with people when Emmett, Alice and Edward came to the wake on Tuesday night. Carlisle thought that it would be better for only them to go since they knew her better than the others. Billy had been able to talk Jacob into coming, but like Embry and Quil, Jacob looked like he would rather be anywhere else. Alice pulled Edward towards Charlie and Renee while Emmett crossed the room to the boys who sat by themselves.

"Hey," he said quietly to get their attention.

Embry nodded in recognition and Quil nodded with a blank expression while Jacob ignored what was going on around them.

"Could I talk to him alone?" he asked Embry and Quil.

"Come on Quil, let's go find the soda machine," Embry said before hooking a hand underneath Quil's armpit and pulling him up.

Emmett placed a hand on Jacob's shoulder before leaning down to his level. Jacob looked at him from underneath his eyelashes with a scowl.

"I know that you don't want to be here, I don't either. But you can't keep beating yourself up over what happened."

"What was she thinking going off into the woods by herself? Where were you?" he asked acidly.

"I guess that I deserve that," Emmett answered in remorse.

Alice was standing a few away from them less than five seconds later.

"I don't think we've met, I'm Emmett's sister Alice. I'm very sorry for your loss," she said sympathetically.

"We weren't family," Jacob murmured.

"That's not the way Bella explained it. You were the brother she always wanted," Alice said with a sweet smile.

"Can we have a few more minutes Alice?" Emmett asked politely.

"Of course, I'll be just over there if you need me," she said, gesturing to a couch by the door.

"Look Jake, I take full responsibility for what happened. You can't make me feel any worse than I already do," Emmett said with a sigh.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blaming you. It's not like you knew what was going to happen."

"You have to let your anger out somehow. If you need a verbal punching bag again give me a call."

Jacob nodded and Emmett stood. He walked over to Renee and she collapsed against him in a bout of tears. He rubbed her back and murmured in her ear to let it out.

"I can't believe that she's gone," she said into his chest.

"She's in a better place," he said soothingly.

"She was always so cautious. She never did anything without thinking it through."

"I know," he agreed.

"I am so sorry. Here I am blubbering about losing her and you were just as close to her," she said pulling away from him to dry her eyes.

"It's alright," he said with a gentle smile.

"She loved you very much."

"I loved her too," he confirmed.

"Your sister said that your parents and other sister will be here tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am. They were all close to Bella."

"I'm glad to know that she had such a close knit circle here. She didn't have many friends in Arizona."

"I didn't know that."

"She only had a handful of friends that she trusted enough to let in," Renee said with a nod.

"I can guess that half of the junior class of Forks High will be here tomorrow."

"Charlie said that some of the officers and the secretary from the station are coming too."

"She made a huge impact on all of us," he said with a small smile.

"You're such a good guy. Would you mind keeping in touch with me? Just so that I know how you're doing?"

"Yes ma'am," he said with a nod.

Edward came up to him to ask him if he was ready to leave and Emmett nodded. He cast a forlorn look at the closed casket, feeling guilty for lying to everyone, especially Renee and Jacob. He would have to go through this again tomorrow. He didn't know how he was going to get through it without Jasper.

XXXX

The sanctuary of the funeral home had standing room only. Emmett was escorted to the front where Charlie, Renee, Billy and Jacob sat by Phil. There had to be at least two hundred people crammed into the room. He sat in between Renee and Jacob and could feel his family's presence close by. He looked over his shoulder to see them sitting three rows back. Jessica, Angela and another girl he didn't know filled out the row.

Reverend Webber started the service by reading a few scriptures from the bible then talked about how unfair it seemed to have a child taken away so soon. She was with Jesus and her family that had passed before her so no one should feel sad for her.

Renee went up to the front to read a letter that she had written not long after she had found out that she was pregnant with Bella. She hadn't got half way through it before she started to cry. Phil came to stand next to her, giving her the strength to finish. Angela came up to read a poem next, her voice barely carrying to the front row because she was overcome with grief. The Forks High girls' choir sang a song that Emmett didn't know but Renee and Charlie had requested because it was Bella favorite song. Charlie later explained that he and her grandmother would sing the song to her when she was upset as a child.

The service lasted only twenty minutes. Charlie pulled Emmett off to the side as everyone was leaving.

"I appreciate you and your family coming today," he said thankfully.

"Why wouldn't we have come?" Emmett asked, perplexed.

"I mean, with Bella waking up soon, shouldn't you be there?" he asked just above a whisper.

"We have it under control," Emmett assured him.

"Renee and I wouldn't think any less of you if you didn't make it to the gravesite."

"Emmett?" Alice asked from a few feet away.

He turned his head, seeing the concern etched on her face. It was nearly time for Bella to wake up.

"You should go," Charlie said grimly.

"Thank you for coming," Renee said just before getting into the cruiser a few cars up from Carlisle's car.

"Do something for me. Take care of my girl, never take advantage of her," Charlie said with a pained expression.

"I'll make sure of it," Emmett said with a nod and a smile.

"We need to leave, Emmett," Carlisle said gently.

Emmett climbed into the car behind Alice and Edward and Rosalie got into Edward's car behind them. Sam, Paul, and Jared passed the car and nodded grimly at him before getting into Sam's jeep which was at the front of the line because they were the pallbearers. The car turned east onto the highway while the recessional line headed south. Alice placed a hand on top of his, squeezing tightly.

"You did a good thing today," she commended him.

"I lied not only to her mother and stepfather but her best friend. How is that a good thing?"

"You did what Charlie asked you to do. And you'll continue to do right by him by treating Bella respectfully and like the goddess you think she is."

"How much time do we have Alice?" Esme asked.

"She should be awake by nightfall. I'm surprised that Jasper hasn't called to ask where we are, he's probably freaking out by now."

Jasper was waiting for them when they pulled up in the driveway ten minutes later. Emmett looked at him expectantly as he strode through the yard.

"Her heart has almost completely stopped. You might want to hurry."

"Why didn't you call?" Emmett accused.

"I figured Alice would have told you."

"You still have another couple of hours," Alice said before pushing Emmett into the house.

Emmett took the stairs two at a time all the way up to the third floor that he had designated his and Bella's living quarters until he felt that they were ready to move to the cabin in the woods. Their bedroom door was open and he could hear Bella's faint heartbeat as he drew closer to the room. At the door, he took her in. The change was almost complete. Her hair was longer; her breast fuller, the scars from where he had bit her had healed over nicely. He ran a hand down her cheek, taking in the coolness of her skin.

She had carried over her scent into the immortal life. The smell of orchids and vanilla filled his nose and he closed his eyes, saying a silent thank you. He pulled up a chair, sitting inches from her. He didn't want to crowd her, but he also wanted to be the first thing she saw when she woke up.

XXXX

Jacob was sullen and morose at Charlie's. Renee had tried to get him to open up, tried to feed him, she had even told him a story that she remembered from when he, Bella and the boys had been babies. Billy had gotten tired of it so he'd had to come up with an excuse on the fly.

"I don't think he's feeling well Ri Ri, I'm gonna take him home."

"I think that's a good idea. He looks a little pale," she agreed with concern.

Embry and Quil got Billy down the walkway and into the truck. Jacob leaned against the passenger window with his arms folded, his mouth twisted in a scowl. Embry lifted Billy into the truck, watching Jacob in concern.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you and Quil to come over for a few days. He's gonna need a few extra days to adjust," Billy explained gravely.

"Yes Sir," Embry said with a nod, worry coming off of him in waves.

Billy patted Embry's arm before starting the truck. Embry shut the door and stepped back to stand next to Quil. Billy looked in the rearview mirror just before rounding the corner to see the two of them standing where he had left them. The fifteen minute ride home was filled with silence. Jacob got the chair down then helped his dad into the chair before taking the stairs up to the door two at a time. Billy wheeled himself up the ramp quickly to head Jacob off before he went into his room.

"You stop right there Jacob Ephraim," he said sternly.

"Can't I mourn Bella's death in peace?" Jacob asked with a pained expression.

"No one said that you couldn't mourn her death Jake. What you can't do is make everyone who cares about you worry, including me. Come in here, I want to talk to you," Billy said before wheeling himself into the living room.

Jacob flopped down onto the couch with a grunt and Billy gave him a warning look.

"What I have to say is a lot to take in, so don't say anything until I finish," Billy instructed.

"Okay," Jacob promised.

"Our tribe has prided itself on its heritage since it first formed more than five hundred years ago."

"You sound like my history teacher," Jacob said credulously.

"Don't make me gag you boy. Since you brought it up, I know that you've heard the stories about our tribe descending from wolves. They are all true."

He waited a beat to gauge Jacob's reaction. Jacob scoffed before shaking his head.

"We haven't had a threat to the pack in over forty years. That's when the Cullen's showed up for the first time."

"You mean Emmett's grandparents?"

"Do I have to put tape over your mouth to shut you up? I mean Emmett, his parents, brothers and sisters. Before you interrupt again, let me explain. They are the cold ones, otherwise known as vampires."

Jacob's eyes went wide as saucers and his mouth went slack in shock. Billy let the news sink in before continuing.

"I was against Bella being with Emmett at first. Then I thought that maybe we could attempt to make peace with them. Our fear of vampires wasn't warranted when it came to them. They have never hurt anyone. Bella will be well taken care of and she'll have a support system, just like you do. The only difference will be that she's a vampire," he said, bringing his speech to a close.

"Bella isn't dead?" Jacob asked slowly.

"Technically no, but she isn't human either."

"Holy shit," Jacob said in astonishment.

"You can call her whenever you want, but I don't think it's a good idea that you see her…At least not now," Billy warned.

Jacob leaned forward with his elbows resting on his knees before racking a hand over his face. Billy was silent as Jacob processed the news. Billy knew that given time Jacob and Bella's friendship would be strong again. Jacob had a lot of road blocks to work through before he would be able to see her again.

XXXX

Emmett could hear his family busying themselves for the newest arrival to the family downstairs. Carlisle and Alice were taking inventory of the pints of blood that Carlisle had been able to get from the hospital and local blood banks. Edward was assuaging Rosalie's fears of having someone added to the family. Yes, Bella's joining the family would change things but she would bring something to the family that no one else didn't. Bella had a power that Carlisle had never seen before. Alice was holding out on him and for that he was grateful. He wanted to be surprised, and everyone was happy to appease him.

He focused his attention on Bella, knowing that it wouldn't be much longer. Her heart hadn't beat in almost a minute and her fingers were starting to twitch, Carlisle had told him that was the first sign of coming to. He took the hand closest to him in his, linking their fingers. He felt like he was going to jump of his skin he was so excited. Bella elicited a low moan making him focus on her face.

"Come on Baby, open your eyes," he coaxed.

Bella heard Emmett's voice as if she were under water. She couldn't answer him if she tried, her throat seized up as she tried to form words. Every part of her body tingled, her senses on high alert. Why couldn't she open her damn eyes like Emmett wanted her to?

"I know that you're in pain, but once you open your eyes everything else will feel like second nature," he reassured her.

She concentrated on his voice, willing her eyes to open. A bright orange light filtered around the edges of her closed eyes.

"Focus on my voice and do as I tell you. Don't think about the pain; just concentrate on opening your eyes. I want you to look into my eyes," he pleaded.

She did as he asked, putting all of her attention on her eyes. Slowly, inch by inch they opened. Emmett stood above her, giving her a look that she would associate with him and how much he loved her.

"Hi," he said with a lopsided grin.

She raised her free hand to press it to his cheek. He covered it with his before leaning down to kiss her forehead. She closed her eyes with a content smile. He had been right; all of the pain was secondary now that she had opened her eyes.

"I've got a pen and paper if you have any questions."

She shook her head, her smile still in place.

"Can you move over, or do you need me to do it?" he asked.

She tried to move herself but was unable to because more pain shot through her. He picked her up then sat on the bed with her in his lap.

"Just know that the pain will be gone soon. It happened to all of us. It comes from being immobile for so long," he explained.

There was a knock at the door then someone stuck their arm in and placed a plastic cup with a straw in on the roll table by the door. They pushed the table towards Emmett and Bella and Emmett stopped the table with ease.

"This should help your throat. Once you're ready we'll go hunting," he said placing the cup in her hands.

She held it with two hands, staring down at it apprehensively. Was it normal to be scared the first time you drank blood? God, how she wished she could ask him.

"Go ahead, it's not unpleasant, I promise," he reassured her.

She leaned against him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder before bringing the cup to her lips. He ran his fingers through her hair to soothe her fears.

"It's good that you can't talk right now, I have a few things to say to you," he said thoughtfully.

She took a gentle pull from the straw, not wanting to give up her right to argue with him.

"I've told your dad the truth. I wouldn't have been able to make it through the last few days if he hadn't known. He understands and wants you to be happy."

The liquid squelched the flames licking at her throat momentarily. Once she opened her mouth to respond the pain was back. Her mouth formed a scowl as his free hand ran down her arm in reassurance.

"I don't think you realize how many people care for you. I was awe struck by how many people came to your funeral. A few of your friends flew in from Arizona, half of Forks High was there, plus half the police department was there. It was so moving, I think Alice and Esme would have cried if they could have."

She smiled sadly, feeling guilty for his family and Charlie having to lie for her. She felt better knowing that Charlie knew, she knew that he would keep the secret to himself.

"Jacob isn't taking things well. I hope that he doesn't do anything drastic. He isn't the type that would commit teen suicide is he?"

Blood lodged in Bella's throat and she sputtered a few times before forcing it down.

"I'll take that as a no."

She shook her head to dislodge the thought of Jacob doing something so drastic that he would take his life. She took a few minutes to let the image work its way out of her mind before focusing on the pain. Her body felt normal and the fire in her throat had gone from a raging forest fire to a gentle fire in a hearth. It was progress. She opened her mouth again, choosing her words carefully.

"You...are…evil," she stumbled.

Laughter filtered up the stairs, causing Bella to sit up.

"You made Jasper laugh," Emmett marveled.

She gave him a puzzled look and he knew what she was asking.

"I've only heard him laugh one other time. Alice has an effect on him that no one else has."

She smiled triumphantly and there was a light knock at the door. Carlisle stuck his head in, giving them a warm smile.

"Is it all right if I check her over now?"

Emmett nodded and Carlisle opened the door just enough to slip inside. He held Bella's hand in his own gently. He turned her left wrist over, checking the place where James had bitten her; the half-moon scar was barely visible.

"Let's check your reflexes, that should be simple enough until you can form sentences," he said with a teasing smile.

She rolled her eyes dramatically with a smile pulling at her lips. He bent her legs at the knees telling her to push with everything she had to extend them. It took very little effort to push against his hands resting on her knees. He wrote down something down in a black journal before pulling a tongue depressor out of his coat pocket.

"Open up," he said holding up the depressor.

Bella opened her mouth and stuck her tongue when asked. Emmett was silent next to her watching the interaction between doctor and patient. He could remember the feeling of disorder when he woken up after being transformed. He had been enraged because he didn't know the person checking him over or the stick thin boy who was holding down. He hadn't made Carlisle's job easy and Edward had cursed him from here to Sunday threatening that if he didn't settle down he was going to have the shortest life known in vampire history.

"How is she?"

"She's just fine," Carlisle said with a pleased smile.

"Can the rest of us come in?" Alice pleaded from the hall.

Bella looked up at Emmett expectantly.

"One at a time," Emmett answered.

The door opened and Jasper stepped in. His face was emotionless as he crossed the room. Bella steeled herself under his cool gaze. He sat in the chair that Emmett had occupied up until she had woken up.

Jasper placed his hands on his knees as he took in his brother and new sister. They made for a very unique pair. Bella had always been beautiful in a classic refined way, now she looked like she had stepped off the set of an old Hollywood movie set. A few inches had been added to her height, but like Alice she was still fairy sized. He was genuinely happy for them.

"You might not believe this, but I liked you from the moment Alice introduced you to us. She may not seem like it, but she is very choosy about the people that she lets in."

Bella nodded with a polite smile. She hadn't expected him to say that.

"One day I'll explain to you how I became a vampire, but not today. Maybe then you'll understand why I still hold you at arms-length," he said apologetically.

Bella nodded once more before he stood and crossed the room. He opened the door and held it open for Alice who practically danced across the room in excitement.

"Hi, sister!" she said exuberantly.

Bella's face felt like it would crack open she was smiling so wide. Alice took her hands in hers, holding them tightly.

"I can't believe you are finally with us. I have so much to tell you."

"One milestone at a time Alice," Emmett warned.

"He's right. Welcome to the family Bella," she said with a sentimental smile.

"Thank you," Bella said politely.

"I can't wait to take you shopping," she said wistfully.

Bella gave Emmett a fleeting look in a ploy for help.

"She's taken all of us shopping at least once. It's best to just get it out of the way and not complain," he said before kissing her temple in reassurance.

Edward came in next but only stayed for a few minutes, asking questions to which Bella only nodded, shook her head, or shrugged her shoulders. Thoughts were swimming through her head so quickly that she couldn't keep up. Why hadn't Edward picked up on it the way that Jasper had? Rosalie vetoed her turn and Esme came in a few seconds after Edward had shut the door.

"Excuse Rosalie, she doesn't agree with our adding a new member to the family," Esme said with a frown.

Emmett stood and was at the door before it could close. Esme put a hand on Bella's leg in reassurance.

"Rosalie didn't have a say in joining our family. She was on the verge of dying when Carlisle changed her. She'll see the error of her ways soon," she promised.

Bella looked at the door, hearing the conversation in the hall.

"I'm sorry Emmett but I think that you are being very selfish," Rosalie said calmly.

"That is a terrible thing to say," Alice said in Emmett's defense.

"Would you rather have had her die? There's no telling what he would have done if that had happened," Edward reasoned.

"Listen to them, they're already fighting for you," Esme said in encouragement.

"I would appreciate it if you kept your opinions to yourself Rose," Carlisle admonished.

"Give her a chance, Rose, for me?" Emmett asked.

"Fine, but I am not going in there," she said with a huff.

Bella pushed Esme's hands from her lap and was across the room in less than a second. She pulled open the door and everyone turned to stare at her wide eyed.

"Can I talk to her?" she questioned, gesturing to Rosalie.

Four sets of eyes focused on Rosalie who rolled her eyes before turning on her heel to walk down the hall. Bella followed her amazed that she was able to keep up. Once they were in Rosalie and Edward's room on the second floor Rosalie gestured for Bella to sit on the couch.

"I'm sorry that you had to hear that. It's just that if I had been given the choice back then I would not have chosen to become immortal. It took me a decade to adjust to everything. Edward didn't make things easy by being so damn understanding and patient," she said with a dismayed shake of her head.

"You don't have to tell me," Bella murmured.

"Not all of us slid into the change as easily as you have. Emmett didn't say a single word to any of us for nearly a year. Jasper still has problems trusting vampires outside of our coven," she explained.

"I don't understand why I am the exception to the rule."

"Alice says that you have a power," Rosalie said gently.

"I do?" Bella asked in confusion.

"I would like to be the one to tell her thank you," Alice said from the door.

"Be my guest," Rosalie said gesturing for her to come in.

"Emmett, get in here," Alice called.

Emmett was in the room within seconds and he sat on the floor at Bella's feet with an arm draped over her legs.

"I have never seen a power like yours before Bella. It's amazing, it's unique and I think it will be very useful to you once you learn how to control it."

"Will you just tell us?" Emmett said in agitation.

"You have a shield that can repel not only your enemies, but their powers. It's like a rubber band that with practice can be stretched out to others."

"Seriously?" Rosalie asked; her mouth agape.

"Yes. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it for myself," Alice said with a pleased smile.

"Has Edward seen it?" Bella asked, her eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Yes, he has. He thinks it's the reason why he isn't able to read your mind."

"If that's the case, why have you been able to see her future and how come Jasper has been able to control her mood?" Emmett asked credulously.

"We don't know; that's why Carlisle wants to run some test on her."

"Aro's powers would be useless against her," Emmett marveled.

"Who's Aro?"

"That is a story for another time. I think that Emmett and Bella would like some time alone. Bella, I would like to meet with you in the morning for another round of testing," Carlisle said from the door.

Emmett stood then held out a hand for Bella. She placed her hand in his and let him lead her up the stairs to their floor. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask but she didn't know where to start. Emmett shut their door behind him before turning to face her. He cupped her face in his hands before pressing his forehead to hers.

"So, what do you plan on doing now that you have me all to yourself?" she asked.

"What I really want will have to wait until you have a ring on your finger. Right now, I just want to hold you," he murmured into her hair.

She pulled away from him to stare into his eyes. She placed a hand on his cheek, caressing it gently.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he said before leaning down once more.

He captured her lips in a bruising kiss. He held her flush against him as the noise from downstairs was drowned out. He walked them backwards to the couch before pulling her down into his lap. He moaned against her lips when her nails dug into his shoulders. This kiss had been well worth waiting for and he was going to draw it out for as long as possible. They had all the time in the world and they were going to make every second count.


	21. Start of Something Good

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight nor do I own the poem or song that are used in this chapter. The poem is called Beginners and it is by Walt Whitman and the song is called Angel and it's by Sarah McClaughlin. I hope her last name right. lol**

With some very careful planning Emmett decided that the next phase of Bella's transformation couldn't be held off any longer. The reserves that Carlisle had gotten for her had lasted a week. Bella could go without feeding for longer than anyone the Cullen's had ever seen. She was too composed and in control of her instincts to be considered a newborn. Emmett often found himself asking if she needed more and telling her that it was normal for a newborn to constantly feel the urge to feed.

No one knew how to explain what was going on. Bella seemed to shatter every preconcieved notion that came with being a newborn.

"I knew you were special the first time I saw you, but I didn't plan on this," Emmett marveled.

"Am I really that rare of a breed?" Bella asked in confusion.

"Sweetheart, I am almost four hundred years old and I have never encountered anyone like you," Carlisle praised.

"I think it's time that we saw just how cool and calm you can be," Emmett said.

"You're letting me come?!" Alice asked, clapping her hands excitedly.

"I'm going to need you to keep an eye open," Emmett explained.

"You've got it boss," Alice said mock saluting him.

"We're going hunting?" Bella asked, her interest piqued.

Emmett nodded with a smile while Alice took a glimpse into the future.

"Everything looks great. We can venture as far as Spokane if you'd like big brother."

Edward cast a look at Alice who shook her head to let him know not to say anything. Emmett and Bella left to get ready to go but Edward stayed behind to question Alice.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm possitive. If it posed a threat I would have told everyone so," she reassured him.

He gave her a stern look, his lips forming a tight line. He had seen it himself but he wasn't so sure that Bella wouldn't change the outcome.

XXXX

Trees surrounded them on all sides. Emmett had led them into the heart of the forest. He had sent Alice off to hunt by herself so that he had Bella could have some privacy. He stood behind her now with a hand resting gently on her hip.

"Close your eyes and tell me what you hear," he said gently.

Bella did as he asked and focused on her surroundings. She heard a nest of baby birds chirping high above them then farther away she heard a squirrel chittering as it ate. She waited patiently as more sounds floated through the air. Her eyes snapped open when she heard human voices two miles to the west. She turned her body in that direction but Emmett didn't take his hand off of her. Her body shook as fire licked at her lungs. Emmett tightened his grip slightly as she fought the urge to go after the humans.

After a minute she had herself under control and the hikers who had been bold enough to venture so far off the trail drifted farther away. Emmett loosened his grip on her and she relaxed against him.

"You did great," he murmured against her hair.

She closed her eyes again and focused once more on her surroundings. Soon she heard a scraping sound not far from where they were. She put all of her attention on that after hearing a low snorting sound. Her lips curled up at the corners slowly revealing her teeth as she opened her eyes.

"It's not exactly what I would have chosen for my first kill but whatever floats your boat," Emmett said indifferently.

"Not all of us had a personal vendetta against a bear," she reminded him.

Less than two hundred yards to their right a buck was rubbing his antlers against a tree to get bark for a doe and fawn who where just inside a clearing less than twenty feet away. Bella could not only smell their blood but hear their hearts beating so loud that it rang in her ears.

She crouched ready to attack once Emmett gave her the okay. She looked over her shoulder at him and he nodded with a smile. Bella sprang through the air landing on the buck's back, twisting his neck to snap it instantly. The doe and fawn ran away but Bella didn't notice as she drank. Emmett stood where she had left him watching her proudly. He had never seen anyone show as much restraint as she did. She was cautious yet focused.

Once the deer had been drained Bella finally pulled away. Her eyes met Emmett's and she smiled broadly. She had a trail of blood coming from the corner of her mouth as she walked towards him calculatingly. He pulled her to him then brushed his thumb across her chin then licked the blood from his thumb slowly.

"Shouldn't you hunt too?"

"I hunted this morning while you were with Esme and Edward."

"Next time we should hnt together," she said quirking an eye brow.

"Next tiime," he agreed with a smile.

Alice came through the trees ahead of them and clapped silently as she beamed at Bella. Bella bowed dramatically with a gracious smile. Now that she'd had her first kill she didn't know what she had been worried about.

XXXX

Emmett wasn't the type of person who got nervous, ever. He shifted from foot to foot as he waited for Charlie to open the door. Alice had promised to keep Bella occupied while he was gone...whatever that meant. He had a feeling that Alice had something up her sleeve, which was never good. He had a feeling that she wouldn't heed his warning and check to see what he was planning.

Charlie opened the door once Emmett finally gathered the courage to knock. He gave Emmett a once over, surprised to see him acting so out of character. Emmett gave him a tight lipped smile before sighing. Charlie opened the door wider and Emmett stepped in. He hung his jacket on the coat rack before going into the kitchen where Charlie was making himself something to eat.

"What's for dinner tonight?"

"I'm making myself a fried egg sandwich."

"Is Sue busy tonight?"

"It's Parent's Night at Seth's school."

"I didn't realize that school was so close to starting again," he said with a shake of his head.

"Seth's only got a week and a half before he goes back. Something tells me that you didn't come over to talk about Sue, Seth, or when school starts again."

"You're right I didn't. I wanted to ask for you permission to marry Bella."

Charlie turned off the burner and took the pan off the burner before turning to face Emmett. He leaned against the counter and placed his hands on the counter.

"I won't ask her if you don't want me to," Emmett reassured him nervously.

"You would wait until after she turned eighteen to get married, right?"

"Absolutely," Emmett answerd with a nod.

"I don't have a problem with it Emmett, just promise that the two of you won't up and leave without letting me kow."

"I can do that."

"Good. Now, I have to warn you that some of the guys from the station are coming over to play cards. You're more than welcome to join us if you'd like."

"That's alright, I'd better get back to the house. Alice has probably already seen what just happened. She's more than likely chomping at the bit with the urge to tell Bella what happened."

Emmett left and sure enough when he got home Alice was waiting for him. He gave her a hard look and she smiled impishly before throwing her arms around his neck.

"You didn't show Edward did you?"

She shook her head once she let go of him. They parted ways and he went up to his and Bella's room where she was reading. He sat on the floor with his back against the couch and she tangled her fingers into his hair.

"How they are provided for upon the earth, (appearing at intervals). How dear and dreadfull they are to the earth. How they inure to themselves as they go much as to any- what a paradox their age. How people respond to them, yet know them not. How there is something relentless all times. How all times mischoose the objects of the adulation and reward. And how the same inexorable price must still be paid for the same great price."

Emmett closed his eyes in contenment as Bella read aloud. He had never been much of a reader, but he could get used to being read to.

XXXX

Bella was flipping through channels, waiting for Emmett to finish helping Jasper and Rosalie work on Jasper's car when her phone rang. She stared at it alarmed. She thought that only the Cullen's had her number. Emmett had given the phone to her a few days after she had been changed. It more than likely had cost three times more than her old phone had. It rang a second time pulling her from her thoughts. She reached for it like someone reaching for a hot branding iron. She looked down at the screen seeing Jacob's phone number. She presssed answer before quickly putting it to her ear.

"Jake?" she asked, her voice cracking with excitment.

"Well, you sound the same," he dead panned.

"You know?" she asked quietly.

"My dad told me."

"Well, my voice is the only thing that hasn't changed. How are you? I miss you," she said with a sad sigh.

"I'm alright I guess. I miss you too. My dad says that I can see you whenever you feel ready."

"How are Embry and Quil?"

"Embry's Embry, he's resilient but Quil's taking things pretty hard. Quil Sr. won't even let him talk about you anymore."

"Tell them both that I miss them."

"I will," he promised.

"What's new with you?"

"Not much. Schools starting pretty soon so my dad said that I won't be able to work as much."

Jacob had started working for a body shop in Forks at the start of summer. Bella had taken her truck in and he'd readjusted her alignment and changed her break pads.

"Can I talk to your dad for a minute?"

"Sure."

The phone was passed then Bella could hear Billy's deep breathing come over the line.

"Yello?"

"Hey, Billy," Bella said with a chuckle.

"Hey Bells. Whatcha need?"

"I need a couple of favors."

"I'll see what I can do," he promised.

"I want to see my dad soon but I wanted you to be there. I can make dinner for you guys."

"I can do that. When were you wanting to do it?"

"This weekend maybe."

"I'm free Sunday."

"That'll work. What I'm about to ask you to do will mean that you'll have to go against Quil Sr.'s wishes."

"Do you want Quil and Embry there?"

"If it's possible."

"I can make it happen. I'll explain everything to the two of them before then."

"I appreciate it Billy. Thank you so much, for everything."

"You're welcome Honey. Don't you worry, everything's going to be fine."

She hung up after talking to Jacob again for a few minutes. She felt better now that she'd had a chance to talk to him. She didn't know how he had gotten her number, but se was glad hat he'd called.

XXXX

Carlisle announced on Friday that the rest of the family would be leaving that night. They had been there for two weeks and Edward had been spotted in town by Jessica and Mike. They had no reason to stay now that Bella had transitioned completely. Carlisle, Edward, and Jasper loaded the cars while Esme, Alice , and Rosalie said goodbye to Emmett and Bella.

Esme looked between the two of them sadly before hugging them both at the same time.

"Group hug," Alice said joining the circle.

Rosalie was pulled into the circle by Esme and she settled between Bella and Alice. They finally pulled away once Carlisle came into let them know that it was time to go.

"You two take care," Esme said.

"Yeah, don't turn the house into a pile of rubble," Jasper warned with a sly smile.

"We level a small log cabin and it haunts us for the rest of our lives," Edward said to Rosalie with an exaggerated eye roll.

Bella looked up at Emmett with questioning eyes.

"It's something you'll understand very soon," he promised.

"Bow chicka wow wow," Jasper sang under his breath.

Alice giggled before blowing them both a kiss then she walked out the door. Soon everyone was gone and the house was quiet.

"Well, what do you want to do now?" she questioned.

"Come with me," he said wrapping an arm around her waist.

He led her into the living room and left her standing in the middle of the room. He instructed her to close her eyes and she did so with a dramatic sigh. She heard the flick and hiss of a lighter lighting something then the smell of Magnolias filled her senses. Emmett brushed his fingers down the side of her face to let her know that she could open her eyes.

He held the remote for the stereo in one hand and took one of her hands in the other. He pressed play and a song Bella knew well started. The slow piano intro covered her like a favorite blanket and she smiled.

"How did you know that this was my favorite song?"

"Your dad told me."

The song continued and he waltzed her around the living room.

You're in the arms of the angel

Far away from here

From this dark, cold hotel room

And the emptiness that you feel

You are pulled from the wreckage of you silent reverie

You're in the arms of the angel

May you find some comfort here

She rested her head on his shoulder as the song ended and let him lead her around the room as the song started over. She couldn't think of anywhere else that she wanted to be.


End file.
